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FAMILY PRAYERS. 


BY 


JOHN RE MACDUFF, D.D., 

AUTHOR OF “ MORNING AND NIGHT WATCHES ; ” “ WORDS AND MIND OF 
JESUS ; ” “ FOOTSTEPS OF ST. PAUL ; ” “ FOOTSTEPS OF ST. PETER ; ” 
“BRIGHTER THAN THE SUN,” ETC. 




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NEW YORK: 

ROBERT CARTER AND BROTHERS 

NO. 530 BROADWAY. 

1878. 













By Exchange 

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May 27, ]i2il 



















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4UtttentS 


FAOB 

First Week. 7 

Second “ . 66 

Thikd “ . 125 

Fourth “ . 184 

©rnmnal fraprs. 

Communion Sabbath, Morning. 248 

“ “ Evening. 247 

For a Day of Humiliation. 251 

Do. if preceding the Communion.256 

For any National Calamity. 257 

Christmas Day. 259 

Last Night of the Year. 264 

First Morning of a New Year. 270 

For a Time of Bereavement.275 

Detention from Public Worship. 282 

For one in Dangerous Illness. 287 

For the Bedside of a Dying Believer.289 


The Faithful Promisee 


293 























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FAMILY PRAYERS. 


first ttteck. 

Sttfliran fUmng. 

ALMIGHTY GOD! we desire to ap 
proach Thy sacred presence, blessing and 
praising thy Holy name, that Thou hast 
again in the multitude of Thy mercies per¬ 
mitted us to see the light of another day 
of the Son of man. This is the day which 
the Lord hath mad*; we will rejoice and 
be glad in it. Dra Thou near to us as we 
draw near to thee. Inspirer of all good 
thoughts! do Thou pre-occupy our souls 
with Thyself. May we walk all the day 
under the sunshine of Thy gracious coun¬ 
tenance, and experience the blessedness of 



8 


FIRST WEEK. 


filial nearness to our covenant GOD and 
Father in CHRIST. 

Thy favor is life. Compared with this, 
all other happiness is shadowy and vain. 
Nothing but the conscious possession of 
Thine own infinite love can satisfy the 
longings of our immortal spirits. Whom 
have we in the heavens, 0 GOD, but 
Thee; and there is none in all the earth 
that our souls would desire besides Thee. 

We draw near to Thy footstool, under 
a deep sense of our unworthiness. We 
acknowledge the depravity and corruption 
of our nature ; the sins and short-comings 
of our practice. We reflect with shame 
and confusion of face on unrequited love, 
on rejected kindness, on resisted warnings, 
on unimproved providences. For JESUS’ 
sake, have Thou mercy upon us, miserable 
offenders! We bring our guilt to the 
great propitiation. We bring the burden 
of daily transgression to the Lamo of GOD, 
who taketh away the sins of the world. 


SUNDAY MORNING. 


9 


We disown all other grounds of confi¬ 
dence,—all other plea for mercy. We 
would stake our eternal all on an ever- 
living and exalted Redeemer! Blessed 
Saviour! Seal to us a sense of pardon. 
Give us the renewed pledge that Thou art 
loving us with an everlasting love. May 
we see this day Thy glory, as we have seen 
Thee heretofore within Thy Holy Temple. 
May we be enabled to pitch our tents 
near the gate of Heaven. May our mani¬ 
fold privileges issue in our more com¬ 
plete sanctification. May we attain greater 
heavenly mindedness, greater weanedness 
from earth, greater singleness of eye to Thy 
glory. May every temporal mercy which 
gladdens our lot be sweetened and hal¬ 
lowed, and endeared by the thought that 
it comes to us through JESUS. May bless¬ 
ings and trials, comforts and crosses, health 
and sickness, joy and sorrow, bring us 
only nearer Him, and redound to the glory 
of His great name. Subdue whatever is 


10 


FIRST WEEK. 


inconsistent with His mind and will. Put 
a sanctified restraint on onr thoughts; re¬ 
press all vain imaginations; crucify every 
lingering sin. May our hearts become 
holy temples, and our lives living sacrifices. 
May the incense and fragrance of a sancti¬ 
fied walk.and obedience be known and seen 
of all men. Fit us for glory. Let our eye 
be ever upwards, and heavenwards, and 
Godwards. Let eternity exercise a more 
commanding influence over us. Let re¬ 
ligion become more “ the one thing need¬ 
ful.” May we grow in more meek and 
child-like submission to our Heavenly 
Father’s will. Breathing a perpetual Sab¬ 
bath-spirit on earth, may we be fitted for 
that rest which shall never be broken, 
which awaits us in the Kingdom of the 
Redeemed. 

We pray for all who are to minister to ug 
this day. Give them an unction from the 
Holy. One. May they be valiant for the 
Truth. May they hide themselves behind 


SUNDAY MORNING. 


11 


an exalted Saviour; and may every ira 
pression on the minds of those who hear, 
be rendered permanent and saving. Bless 
us, even us, 0 God, who are now surround 
ing Thy footstool. As Thou hast knitted 
us together in the same earthly ties, do 
Thou unite us in the better bonds of the 
everlasting covenant. Make us all par* 
takers of the resurrection-life of Thy peo¬ 
ple; that though death may sooner or 
later separate us here, we may meet at 
last where separation is unknown. 

We pray for the poor, the afflicted, the 
bereaved, and the dying. 0 Thou Com* 
forter of all that are cast down, do Thou 
heal their sorrows, bind up their wounds. 
To the friendless, do Thou prove a friend. 
In the multitude of their thoughts within 
them, may Thy comforts delight their 
souls. 

We commend our friends, and all be¬ 
longing to us, implicitly to Thy Sovereign 
care. Undertake Thou for them. May the 


12 


FIRST WEEK. 


pillar of Thy presence go continually be¬ 
fore them. Fit them for living and for 
dying. May all our souls be consecrated, 
with their undivided energies, to the glory 
of Him, in whose words we would further 
pray, saying 

Our Father , &c. 

The grace of our Lord, <kc. 


Siittlrai tffrtninji. 


HEAVENLY FATHER! we desire to 
close this, Thy holy Sabbath, with Thee. 
Thou hast been as a pillar of cloud before 
us this day ; Thou hast again spread for us 
a table in the wilderness; we have seen 
again Thy glory, as we have seen Thee 
heretofore in Thy Temple. As the shadows 
of night are falling around us, do Thou, 
the Unsetting u Sun of our Souls,” be near 
us — dispersing all the darkness of sin, 
and giving us the inner sunshine of Thy 
presence and love. Y/e entreat Thee not 
to leave us. May the holy leaven of a 
Sabbath frame be manifested throughout 
the week, hallowing, and sanctifying, and 
pervading all its duties. 

We entreat Thee to forgive the many 
Bins that have mingled in our efforts to 


14 


FIRST WEEK. 


serve Thee this day. If we were to 
be judged by our holiest seasons, how 
should we stand condemned! Look not 
on us as we are in ourselves; but be¬ 
hold, 0 GOD, our shield!—look upon 
the face of Thine Anointed. We would 
cleave to Him as our only Saviour. En¬ 
able us to testify of the reality of our 
faith, and the depth of our gratitude, by 
bringing forth all the peaceable fruits of 
righteousness. May Thy love reign para¬ 
mount; may there be no competing affec¬ 
tion ; may we show by our holy lives, and 
unselfish feelings, and consistent walk, that 
we have been imbibing deeply of the 
Saviour’s Spirit. Take these unworthy, 
polluted, erring, treacherous hearts:— 
sanctify and seal them for Thyself; make 
them thine only, and thine wholly, and 
thine forever. May we be clothed with 
the armor of righteousness on the right 
hand and on the left; may we exercise a 
jealous eye on our daily avocations, lest 


SUNDAY EVENING. 


15 


tilings temporal should exercise an engross¬ 
ing power to the exclusion of things 
eternal. May it be our grand aim to be 
progressing in the Divine life. Let us 
hear Thy voice proclaiming in our ears, 
44 Arise, for this is not your rest!” May 
our habitual response be, 44 We desire a 
better country,—that is an Heavenly.” 

We pray for a world lying in wicked¬ 
ness. 44 How long shall the wicked—how 
long shall the wicked triumph ? Save Thy 
people, bless Thine inheritance, feed them 
also, and lift them up forever.” Bless 
abundantly of the preaching of Thy holy 
word. Glorify Thyself in the salvation of 
sinners. May the stout-hearted tremble; 
may He whom they persecute 44 meet them 
in the way.” May Thy ministering ser¬ 
vants be made strong by the hands of the 
mighty God of Jacob; may the bow 
which this day have been drawn at a ven¬ 
ture carry the arrow of conviction to many 
hearts; may we all feel that this Sab- 


1G 


FIRST WEEK. 


bath must have solemn bearings on oui 
eternity 

We entreat Thee to take under Thy 
merciful protection this night all our be¬ 
loved friends. It is our privilege to bring 
them in prayer to Thee. Though unable 
to meet under the same tabernacle, it is our 
comfort to know that no distance can 
estrange from Thee—that thou canst, at 
one and the same moment, be present 
within every gate of Zion and every dwell¬ 
ing of Jacob. We commend both present 
and absent ones to the gracious Shepherd 
of Israel. Be Thou to them all, as the 
shadow of a rock in a weary land. 

Draw near to the sons and daughters of 
sorrow. Give them everlasting consola¬ 
tion and good hope, through grace. Let 
them bow to Thy wid. Let them see no 
hand in their trials but Thine; saying, in 
lowly submissiveness, with regard to all 
creature comforts,—the Lord gave, and the 


SUNDAY EVENING. 


17 


Lord hath a sovereign right to take them 
all away. 

We thank Thee for Thy many mercies 
still vouchsafed to us. Watch over m 
during this night. Grant us the sleep of 
Thy beloved. When we awake may we 
still be with Thee. And all that we 
ask, is in the name and for the sake of 
Him whom Thou hearest always, and to 
whom, with Thee, the Father, and Thee, 
0 Eternal Spirit, one GOD, be ascribed 
all blessing, and honor, and glory, and 
praise, world without end. Amen . 

Our Father , &c. 

The grace of our Lord. &c. 


2 


lUnfoaa Itmittjj. 

0 LORD we desire to draw near into 
Thy holy presence, in the name of Him 
whom thou hearest always. • 

We rejoice to think that around His 
cross, mercy and truth have met together, 
righteousness and peace have embraced 
each other. The law has been magnified, 
yet the guilty saved. Justice has been 
satisfied, and yet the fallen and outcast 
may listen to the voice of reconciliation 
and love. 

LORD, we have nothing to plead in 
extenuation of our guilt. We have sinned 
against light and privilege, and warning, 
and mercy. We mourn our deep-rooted 
depravity, our constant proneness to alien¬ 
ation and departure from Thee; the 
feebleness of our faith, the fitfulness of 


MONDAY MORNING. 


19 


our love, the imperfection of our best 
services, the mingled motives in our 
holiest duties. We come anew, casting 
ourselves on the infinite fulness of oui 
adorable Redeemer. Give us out of His in 
exhaustible treasury, even grace for grace 
Let us walk as Thy children, advancing ii 
conformity to Thy blessed mind and will 
Let us not only be jealous of losing whal 
we have, but may we be covetous of 
greater spiritual attainments—laying aside 
every weight, and running with patience 
the race that is set before us. Give us 
grace to bear about with us, in our daily 
duties and engagements, in our sleeping 
and waking, the solemn thought—we are 
soon to be with GOD. Let us not post¬ 
pone the all-momentous question of our 
Salvation. Let us not be found preparing 
for our latter end when the summons is 
addressed to us— u Get thee up and die.” 
May we feel that now is the accepted time, 
and it may be, the only time! May we 


20 


FIRST WEEK. 


hear a voice addressed to us in the most 
common Providences. Let it be our con¬ 
stant aim and endeavor to know what the 
will of the LORD is; and knowing that 
will, may we have strength given us to 
obey it. Even if Thou shouldst see meet 
to try us, may we cheerfully submit, for 
we know Thy roughest east winds are 
intended to drive our barks nearer glory. 
May we murmur at nothing that , brings 
us nearer Thee. We would desire that 
everything earthly be subordinated to Thy 
glory. May we seek to bring all our 
affections to this Thine own standard, 
‘lovest thou Me more than these?'' Con¬ 
scious of the supreme enthronement of 
Thy love in our hearts, may we be enabled 
in honest sincerity to avow, ‘ LORD, Thou 
knowest all things, Thou knowest that we 
love Thee.’ Loving Thee supremely, take 
what Thou wilt away, we must be happy. 

GOD of Bethel, dwell in this household, 
make every member of it Thine. Those 


MONDAY MORNING. 


21 


that are absent, LORD be near them— 
Those that are in distress, LORD comfort 
them. Those that know Thee not, LORD 
arrest them. Those that are Thy children, 
do Thou increase their devotedness; give 
them more of the Pilgrim character, pre¬ 
pare them for the Pilgrim’s rest. 

Prosper Thy cause and kingdom every¬ 
where. Let Satan’s kingdom be destroyed 
—the kingdom of grace advanced—the 
kingdom of glory hastened. Save thy 
people—bless Thine inheritance, feed them 
also, and lift them up forever! Give to 
each of us this day Thy gracious bene¬ 
diction ; and when the days of Earth shall 
merge into the ages of Eternity, may it 
be ours to spend them in the full vision 
and fruition of Thee, our GOD, through 
JESUS CHRIST. Amen. 

Our Father &c. 

The Grace of Our Lord , &c. 


Itmtints dotting. 


0 GOD ALMIGHTY, who hast merci- 
fully shielded us during another day, we 
desire, ere we retire to rest, to commit 
ourselves, soul and body, to Thee in well¬ 
doing, as unto a Faithful Creator. Glory 
be to our GOD for all the blessings of the 
light; and now that the curtain of night 
is again drawn around us, do Thou keep 
us, King of kings, beneath thine own 
over-shadowing wings. It is Thou only 
who makest us to dwell in safety. 

We acknowledge Thee as our daily 
Benefactor and Guardian. Thine is the 
air we breathe, the food we eat, the 
raiment with which we are clothed. But *; 
far above all Thine other gifts, we bless 
Thee for Thy mightiest pledge of mercy ta 
a fallen world,—JESUS, the son of Thy 


MONDAY EVENING. 


23 


Love! He is our only Saviour. We re¬ 
joice to think that He is at this moment 
41 undertaking” for all his people. We re¬ 
joice to think of Him as our u Wonderful, 
Counsellor,”-—ever living—ever loving— 
always the same; others growing strange, 
He never—others changeable, He immuta¬ 
ble. 

JMay we be clothed with His likeness as 
well as with His righteousness. Sanctify 
us, body, soul, and spirit. Make us gentle 
and patient, and meek, and thankful, and 
forgiving. Take away all pride, vain 
glory and hypocrisy-—all absorbing love 
of the world and worldly things. Set our 
renewed affections on things above. Let 
us be jealous over ourselves. One indulged 
sin is enough to forfeit Thy favor—one 
idol retained is enough to drive Thee from 
the throne of our heart. Do Thou come 
and reign there supreme. May our souls 
become undefiled altars, whence the in* 
cense-offering of gratitude and thanksgiv 


24 


FIRST WEEK. 


ing is ever ascending. May life become 
one grand and habitual preparation for 
eternity. 0 give us to know that holy 
and happy living is holy and happy dying 

Give us all zeal in the performance of 
our relative duties. Let us feel that what¬ 
ever Thou hast given us, whether talent, 
or wealth, or influence—all are trusts to 
be laid out for Thee—to bring in a revenue 
of glory to Thy holy name, and promote 
the well-being of those around us. 

Visit Thy church—the vineyard which 
Thine own right hand hath planted. May 
grace, and mercy, and peace be upon all 
the Israel of God. Bless our own house¬ 
hold ;—may every heart be brought daily 
nearer Heaven. Impress on us the solemn 
thought that time lost cannot be recalled 
Let us not leave undone for a dying hour 
what may be best done, and it may be, 
only done now. May all our friends at a 
distance enjoy the friendship of a never- 
distant GOD. Guard them, guide them 


MONDAY EVENING. 


25 


provide for them. May they and we 
together be invisibly traversing the same 
Zionward path. May the rainbow of Thy 
Covenant love lighten our passage through 
the dark valley. May it be ours at last to 
have an abundant entrance ministered in¬ 
to that better land, where GOD shall rest 
in His love, and rejoice over His people 
with singing. Hear us, LORD, for the 
sake of Thy dear Son, our only Lord and 
Saviour, who, when He was on earth, 
taught us thus to pray, saying— 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , &6. 


O LORD. Thou art from everlasting to 
everlasting, GOD. Thou art enthroned 
amid the praises of Eternity : Thy glories 
no time can impair; Thy mercy endureth 
forever. The same love which before 
the birth of time or of worlds gave 
JESUS, is this day the same — infinite, 
immutable! 

We bless Thee for the Son of Thy love. 
We cannot wonder at any other mercy 
when Thou hast given us Him. We rejoice 
that for every poor sinner casting himself 
in his own nothingness and demerit, on 
the fulness and sufficiency of an Almighty 
Saviour, there is an open door of welcome! J 
We take JESUS in all He is, in all that He 
hath done, in all that He is willing to do. 
We stake our eternal all on Him. Re« 


TUESDAY MORNING. 


27 


posing on his completed work, we can joy¬ 
ously say, “ Return unto thy rest, 0 our 
souls, for the LORD hath dealt bounti¬ 
fully with us. 1 ’ Let us enter into this rest. 
Let us feel that there is no repose for the 
immortal Spirit but in that blessed shelter¬ 
ing Ark of mercy. Forbid that we should 
delay availing ourselves of the offered re¬ 
fuge. Let us feel that time is too short, 
and eternity too long, to be tampering with 
our salvation. May every other question 
of mere earthly interest be subordinated 
to this, “What must We do to be saved?” 
May we know that JESUS is in every re¬ 
spect the SAVIOUR we need—that there 
is no friend in the wide world so willing 
to he all and to do all for us. May the 
same mind be in us which was also in 
Him. May we bear more about with us 
the dying of the LORD JESUS, that the 
life also of JESUS may made be manifest in 
our mortal flesh. Let us know the blessed¬ 
ness of living ivith Him in holy fellow- 


28 


FIRST WEEK. 


ship, living from day to day upon Him 
with unfaltering dependence, and to Him 
in undivided consecration of every power 
of our bodies, and every faculty of our 
souls. May we search out the plague of 
our own hearts. May whatever pleases 
Him please us. May we find all our hap¬ 
piness in the enquiry, u What the will of 
the LORD isand knowing it, to pur¬ 
sue prayerfully and joyfully our heaven¬ 
ward way. Let us thankfully employ the 
manifold gifts of Thy bounty. Keep us 
from the abuse of any, by allowing them 
to supplant the Giver. May we be en¬ 
abled to rise above them in the conscious¬ 
ness of the better portion and heritage 
we have in Thyself—Thou source and 
bestower of all! 

Bless all in sorrow. Descend, LORD, to 
heal their wounds. May they bow with 
unrepining submission to Thy will and say 
41 It is good for us that we have been so 
afflicted!” Mav those laid on beds of 


TUESDAY MORNING. 


29 


languishing, exhibit patience under bodily 
pain and infirmity. May useful lives be 
spared, and the dying be prepared for 
death. 

Bless this family and household: may 
we all know the happiness of present, and 
everlasting shelter in the shepherd’s fold. 
[May the lambs of the flock be taken in 
His arms, and carried in his bosom.] 

Hasten the promised times of refreshing 
from the presence of the LORD. May 
JESUS take to himself his great power 
and reign. Arise, 0 GOD, and let Thine 
enemies be scattered. 

Take us this day under thy peculiar 
care. The LORD bless us and keep us—- 
the LORD cause his face to shine on us—- 
the LORD fit us for life, and for death, 
and for glory, for JESUS’ sake Amen. 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord. &c. 


ftus&ag Glutting. 

0 GOD, we come into Thy blessed pres¬ 
ence on this the evening of another day, 
thanking and praising Thee for all the 
unmerited tokens of Thy love and mercy. 
On Thee we are dependent for all the tem¬ 
poral bounties of our lot, and for all our 
higher and more enduring spiritual privi¬ 
leges. If we have been enabled this day 
to resist temptation, and to fight against 
sin, it is all Thy blessed grace which has 
enabled us to do so. We are weak, and 
wayward, and helpless. Our hearts are 
ever dealing treacherously, both with our¬ 
selves and Thee. The good that we would, 
that we do not; and the evil that we 
would not, that we do. 

We are daily and hourly contracting 
fresh guilt. Nothing else in the world 


TUESDAY EVENING. 


31 


r 

but the merits of our blessed Redeemer can 
wash away sin. All our tears and repent¬ 
ance cannot do so; all our best amend¬ 
ments cannot do so; it is JESUS, and 
JESUS only—in all the fulness of His 
grace—in all the efficiency of His interces¬ 
sion—in all the glories of his finished 
work. Help us, Saviour, or we die! 
Sprinkle every heart with thy blood: this 
alone will serve as a Passover in the great 
day of coming wrath. 

While we look by simple faith to a com¬ 
pleted atonement, as the alone ground of 
our justification, we would look to Thy 
HOLY SPIRIT to work in us all the good 
pleasure of Thy goodness. May He mould 
us after the Redeemer’s image, and con¬ 
form us to His will. May we be led to imi¬ 
tate the Saviour’s meekness, gentleness, 
and untiring benevolence. Give us fer¬ 
vent charity to all men,—lofty integrity in 
our dealings, — faithfulness to whatever 
trust Thy Providence has confided to us. 


32 


FIRST WEEK. 


May we shake off all indolence and self- 
indulgence; may we strive to be useful in 
our generation, redeeming the time because 
our days are few and evil; may we feel 
duty become a delight when done for Thee, 
and that every worldly calling and occupa¬ 
tion is sanctified and sweetened if thus 
interfused with the sense of Thy gracious 
favor. 

Have mercy on the sons and daughters 
of sorrow. Let them own Thy hand—let 
them rest in Thy love. Let them see that 
they never could have known Thee as 
the Brother born for adversity, unless 
Thou hadst tried them! Promote Thy 
cause and kingdom in the world. Pour 
out upon all thy ministers, and mission¬ 
aries, and churches, the healthful spirit of 
Thy grace. May the time soon come when, 
under one Shepherd and one sheepfold, all 
ends of the earth shall see the salvation of 
GOD. 

Bless our own immediate dwelling, and 


TUESDAY EVENING. 


33 


the circle of those nearest and dearest to 
us. Oh! that as each evening comes 
round, we may feel that a day has been 
spent for Thee. May the thought be 
one, not of a painful, but of a hallowed 
kind to us, that we shall soon end the 
journey, and be with Thyself forever,— 
done with sin, done with sorrow, done 
with self, and the great GOD become our 
all and in all! 

Be with us throughout this night. May 
our bodies be refreshed with sleep; may 
we awake to the duties of a new day with 
our minds stayed on GOD. And unto 
Thy Great name,’ FATHER, SON, and 
HOLY SPIRIT, we ascribe blessing, and 
honor, and glory, and praise, now and for¬ 
ever. 

Our Father , &c. 

The grace of our Lord , &c> 

3 


lUstting* 

0 GOD, Thou art great, and greatly 
to be praised : Thy greatness is unsearch¬ 
able. Thou art the GOD of our life, and 
the length of our days; Thou appointest 
our lot and settlest the bounds of our habi¬ 
tation. The LORD reigneth. Nothing be- 
fals us but what is the dictate of infinite 
wisdom and everlasting love: the Highest 
of all Beings is the kindest of all. Our 
lives are one amazing retrospect of kind¬ 
ness ;—mercy upon mercy—and u there are 
no small mercies with Thee—all are great , 
because the least are undeserved.” 

We thank Thee especially for that 
mercy which transcends all others in mag¬ 
nitude : we bless Thee for a full, free, and 
everlasting Salvation in JESUS. We come 
to Thee on the broad ground of Thine own 


WEDNESDAY MORNING. 


35 


offered welcome. May we be justified 
freely by His grace. Amid the fitfulness 
>f our own ever-changing feelings may 
wo be able to make the challenge— 
“ Who shall separate us from the love of 
CHRIST ?” May the common blessings 
of life be hallowed by the sense of the 
mightiest of all blessings—that of being at 
peace with Thee in Him. 

Distrusting our own strength and suffi¬ 
ciency, let us lean our whole weight upon 
His arm. May we have more of the feel¬ 
ings, and tastes, and habits of “pilgrims.” 
May we desire a better country. May 
our habitual watchword be—“ We are 
journeying.” Let us not tamper with 
sin. May all that is pleasing to Thee be 
owned: may new-born principles ripen 
into holy tastes and permanent habits. 
May all anger, and wrath, and malice, 
and evil speaking, be put away from us 
If ever tempted to uncharitable feelings, 
or the indulgence of unholy, unforgiving 


36 


FIRST WEEK. 


tempers, may we seek to set JESUS before 
us, and remember Him who was meek and 
lowly in heart,—who when He suffered 
He threatened not; but committed Him¬ 
self to Him who judgeth righteously. Thy 
presence hallows all joy, and sweetens all 
sorrow, and takes the sting from every 
thorn and every cross. Other friends have 
failed us—Thou hast never. Let us know 
that our happiest hours are those which are 
spent for Thee. If we have Thy favor and 
blessing we are independent of every other. 

We pray for the afflicted. Be a father to 
the fatherless—a husband to the widow— 
the stranger’s shield—and the orphan’s stay 
Let every heavy laden one know that it in 
Thy gracious hand that puts the burden oi 
and keeps it on. Give us all grace to be 
resigned to Thy will,—sorrowing or rejoic 
ing —in sickness—in health—in living or 
dying. Lying meekly in the arms of Thy 
mercy, may this be the only breathing of 
our hearts, “ Father, glorify Thy name!” 


WEDNESDAY MORNING. 


37 


[Do thou sanctify our home. May our 
children rise up and call Thee blessed; 

H)ur Thy rich grace early into their hearts; 
may they be led to remember their Creator 
in the days of their youth. May this be 
their highest blessedness—that they are 
the children of their Father in Heaven.] 
Hasten, LORD, Thy coming and Thy 
kingdom. Bring in Thine ancient people 
with the fulness of the Gentile nations 
Prosper the labors of Thy missionary ser¬ 
vants ; may the LORD stand by them and 
strengthen them. 

May we all feel that each of us have in 
our several spheres some work to perform 
for Thee. Let the solemn word of warn¬ 
ing be ever sounding in our ears, “The 
night cometh wherein no man can work.” 
Oh, may we be diligent, that we may at 
last be found of Him in peace, without 
spot and blameless; and all that we ask is 
for the Redeemer’s sake, Amen. 


tStirtusiJitg Atoning. 


r 


0 GOD ALMIGHTY—Maker—Pro¬ 
prietor—Judge of all!—we come into 
Thy glorious presence on this the close of 
another day, beseeching Thee to fill us 
frith fitting conceptions of Thy greatness. 
Heaven is filled with the underived majesty 
of Thy glory. 

What mercy it is in Thee that Thou 
shouldst bend Thine ear to our feeble lisp- 
ings of praise,—that Thou, Great GOD, 
shouldst listen to the sinner’s cry, and re¬ 
ceive the tribute of such unthankful, un¬ 
holy hearts. We could not, LORD, 
have ventured into Thy presence, but 
for Thy great love in CHRIST JESUS 
Through Him alone it is that the words of 
our mouths and the meditations of our 
hearts are rendered acceptable in Thy sight. 


WEDNESDAY EVENING. 


3& 

Id Him we are pardoned, adopted justified, 
saved. In Him we are kept, sanctified, 
sealed. In Him we shall at last be pre¬ 
sented without fault before the throne l 
We may well entrust our eternal all to 
His keeping. The valley of death is itself 
gilded with the lustre of the Bright and 
Morning Star; the grave is transformed 
into a bed of rest, and beyond the portals 
of the tomb there breaks upon us a hope 
full of immortality. Our wants are infi¬ 
nite, but our help is infinite. He is waiting 
to dispense all needed grace, and for every 
time of need. LOUD, we feel that we re¬ 
quire grace for everything. Every moment 
is a moment of need; there is not the hour 
or instant we can live independent of 
JESUS. Do thou carry on Thine own 
work within us. May it be a growing 
work, and may we be growing Christians, 
growing out of ourselves and into Him who 
is the living Yme. May the fruits of 
righteousness be the living evidences of 


40 


FIRST WEEK. 


our being grafted into Him. Purge ua^ 
tliat we may bring forth more fruit; for¬ 
bid that we should be sapless, fruitless 
unproductive cumberers, occupying ground 
in Thy vineyard, but yielding no revenue 
of glory to Thee. This is Thy will con¬ 
cerning each of us, even our sanctification. 
Oh! Thou who searchest Jerusalem with 
lighted candles, do Thou search our hearts. 
See if there be any wicked way in us,— 
anything that may still be hindering our 
progress, or grieving Thy Spirit.—Lead 
us not in our own way, for often would 
we mar the work of Thy grace by choos¬ 
ing what would be hurtful to our best 
interests; but choose Thou for us. Let us 
rejoice in Thee as a rich provider, and an 
all-wise provider, who will give us nothing, 
and deny us nothing, but what is for our 
good. 

We commend to Thy Fatherly protection 
all near and dear to us this night. Keep 
them, gracious Father, under the shadow 


WEDNESDAY EVENING. 


41 


of Thy wings; bless them and mate them 
blessings. May they never lose sight of 
the chief end of their being, to glorify 
Thee on earth, and to enjoy Thee forever 
in Heaven. Bless our own family. We 
thank Thee for all Thy great goodness in 
the past. The Lord hath been mindful of 
us, and He will bless us. 

Ho good in Thy good pleasure unto Zion. 
Build Thou the walls of Jerusalem. May 
every branch of Thy Church universal be 
blessed with tokens of Thy favor. Revive 
Thy work, 0 GOD, in the midst of the 
years. 

Take the charge of all of us this night; 
it is Thou who givest Thy beloved sleep; 
it is Thou, LORD, only, who makest us 
to dwell in safety. May each returning 
evening find us more ready for the coming 
of the LORD JESUS with all His saints. 
And all that we ask is for the Redeemer’s 
sake. Amen . 


St0rning^ 

MOST BLESSED GOD! who hast 
again permitted ns to see the beginning 
of another day, let ns accept every new 
morning as a fresh gift of Thy bounty and 
love. We are the constant dependents on 
Thy mercy. Thon hidest Thy face and 
we are troubled;—the moment the mighty 
arm which sustains a universe is with¬ 
drawn, we instantly perish! 

We are utterly unworthy to come into 
Thy presence. There is nothing so amaz¬ 
ing as Thy condescension to such crea¬ 
tures as we. The most wondrous thought 
about a wonder-wording GOD, is that 
He can suffer such guilty, miserable apos¬ 
tates to invoke His favor.—might 
righteously strike us down, and make ua 


THURSDAY MORNING. 


43 


monuments of His vengeance. But in 
wrath He remembers mercy. 

We come to Thee anew this morning, 
through the new and living way of access. 
We cast ourselves on the full, free, and 
everlasting salvation of our adorable Re¬ 
deemer. 

LORD JESUS, we take Thee as our 
only Saviour—ours only—ours wholly— 
ours for every step Zionwards—ours in a 
living, ours in a dying hour—ours in the 
wilderness—ours till we reach the gates of 
glory,—yea, ours forever and ever! It is 
our blessed consolation that no good thing 
wilt Thou withhold from them that walk 
uprightly. So that, without one misgiving, 
we may well confide our all to Thee—hid 
in the “concave of Thy shield,” saying, 
u Though He slay me, yet will I trust in 
Him.” 

LORD, Thou often teachest us by ter* 
rible things in righteousness, but none 
teacheth like Thee. Let this be our conso* 


44 


FIRST WEEK. 


lation, “We are under our Father’s direc¬ 
tion.” Make us more child-like, and obedi¬ 
ent, and submissive, and heavenly-minded. 
The sunshine of Thy countenance can make 
up for all losses, but no gain can compen¬ 
sate for its withdrawal. We would wish 
to be no better, and fare no better than 
Covenant love and mercy would have us. 
The past is paved with mercy. It may 
have sometimes seemed to be a mysterious 
way, but the result has proved it to have 
been a right way. We will hear Thy 
voice behind us, saying for the future, 
“Fear not, for I am with Thee!” 

Each of us has a great work to do, and 
a brief time to do it in. Let us live under 
the power of holy principles. May we feel 
that we are stewards in this world, put in 
trust for Thy glory. Let us even bless 
Thee for our cares, that we may cast all 
these upon Thee, and know experimentally 
that “Thou carest for us.” 

Bless all near and dear to us. Our frien da 


THURSDAY MORNING. 


45 


wo commend to Thy friendship. Let not 
one of them be found wanting on the Great 
Day. May they be among the number of 
those whom, sleeping in JESUS, GOD will 
bring with Him. Bless us who are now 
surrounding Thy footstool, whether as mas¬ 
ter or servant, [as parents or children.] 
May we all have affiance in Thee, and 
ever seek Thy honor and glory. 

Compassionate all in sorrow. May u the 
poor afflicted ones” take refuge in the 
assurance that Thou guidest the wheels of 
Providence—that whatever befalls them is 
Thy doing. May we be all so living now, 
that we may not at last be ashamed before 
CHBIST at His coming. Sanctify us, good 
Lord, in body, soul, and spirit. Seal us 
until the day of eternal redemption. And 
all that we ask is for JESUS’ sake. Amen, 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of Our Lord , &c. 


0 GOD! we desire to come into Thy 
blessed presence on this the evening of 
another day,—thanking and praising Thy 
name for the renewed experiences we have 
had of Thy faithfulness and love. Another 
day of mercy and grace has been added to 
those which have preceded it. W e rejoice 
to look back on the way by which Thou hast 
hitherto led us and fed us—guarding us 
from temptation, supporting us in trouble, 
disappointing our fears, and realizing our 
hopes. We bless Thee for our creation, 
for our preservation, for all the blessings 
of this life, but above all for Thine ines¬ 
timable gift, JESUS the Son cf Thy love. 
Enable us this Evening, like the believ¬ 
ing sinner of old, to touch by faith the 
hem of His garment, and get the bene- 


THURSDAY EVENING. 


47 


diction pronounced over us, “Your sine: 
are all forgiven you, go in peace.” Let us 
be drawing fresh supplies for every ex 
igency out of the fountain of His grace 
and love, knowing from blessed experi¬ 
ence that He is equal for all exigencies 
and all contingencies, that there is a ful¬ 
ness in His boundless treasury to meet 
all wants and minister to all necessi¬ 
ties. 

It is our desire, blessed GOD, to lie 
passive in Thy hands. Whether Thou 
chasten us or gladden us, whether pros¬ 
perity or adversity be ours—oh bring us 
nearer Thee. Give us anything but Thy 
displeasure. Save us from the bitterest of 
all trials, the removal of Thy grace—the 
loss of Thy favor. 

When we cannot fathom the mystery 
of Thy dealings, may fajth repose in 
Thine unchanging faithfulness. May we 
feel sweetly assured that all things are 
working together for our good. What 


48 


FIRST WEEK. 


is mystery and enigma here, will be un* 
folded and unravelled hereafter. Now, we 
see often but a dim reflection of Thy love, 
but the river of the Water of Life above, 
will not only be ever flowing, but it will 
be clear as crystal, and we shall see “face 
to face.” 

Give us grace meanwhile to live as the 
expectants of this better inheritance. Let 
us walk through life’s journey cheered with 
Thy propitiated smile; enable us at the 
hour of death, in the assurance of Thy love, 
to fall asleep! When the Great Book of 
our sins is opened at last, may we see them 
all obliterated in the blood of Jesus— 
sought for, but found no more! 

[Take each and all of our family under 
Thy special protection. Thou better and 
tenderer than the best of earthly parents 
be the guide.and protector of our chil¬ 
dren. Let this be their highest boast 
and ambition to be the children of the 
living GOD.* May their hearts be early 


THURSDAY 


NING. 


49 


given to Thee, and by holy and consistent 
lives, may they glorify their Father in 
Heaven.] 

We pray for Thy cause and kingdom 
everywhere. Give Thy Son the Heathen 
for His inheritance, and the uttermost 
parts of the Earth for His possession. 
Take to Thyself Thy great power and 
reign. May there soon be voices heard 
saying, the Kingdoms of this world have 
become the one Kingdom of our Lord and 
of His CHRIST. 

LORD all our desires are before Thee; 
all our hope is in Thy mercy, all our 
Happiness is in Thy favor. Abide with us 
for it is toward evening and the day is far 
spent, and when our evenings and morn- 
ings shall merge into everlasting day, be 
Thou still our “All in all,” for the sake 
of JESUS CHRIST, Thine only Son, our. 
Saviour. Amen . 


4 


Jri&ss Ipnutijj. 

0 LORD, we adore Thee as GOD ovei 
all, blessed for evermore! Thou art the 
former of our bodies and the Father of 
our spirits, the GOD in whom we live and 
move and have our being. All we are 
and all we have is derived from Thee. 
There is nothing which we have that 
we have not received. 0 give us the 
blessing of grateful hearts, feeling that 
the least blessing we have is unmerited on 
our part, and a gift of free grace on Thine. 

We come anew, glorying in the finished 
work of our adorable Surety. Thou art, 
0 GOD, in Him waiting to be gracious—• 
< Thou delightest in mercy. There are no 
repentings in Thy love, no altered tones, 
no fitful affection. Thy ways in this re¬ 
spect are not as man’s. We bless Thee 


FRIDAY MORNING. 


51 


that tliou art not changeable as we are, 
else we should long ere now have been 
consumed. 

May the unwavering eye of faith bo 
kept on JESUS—and we can sink no 
more! How many have entrusted their 
eternal all on the finished work of Him, 
the fragrance of whose merits fills Heaven, 
and still “as a Prince He has power with 
GOD”—still for us, He “ prevails.” 

Blessed JESUS, we are complete in 
Thee; we have nothing to pay for, for 
Thou hast 'paid all. We have nothing to 
do, for Thou hast done all. We have no¬ 
thing to procure for Thou hast procured 
all. Everlasting forgiveness—everlasting 
righteousness—everlasting union and com¬ 
munion with Thee now and evermore. 
Oh keep us ever in this state of conscious 
dependence on thee. To Thee we look for 
everything. Save us from every false 
confidence Pursue us out of self. Let us, 
while living in the world, live above it, 


52 


FIRST WEEK. 


Educate us for eternity. Let Thy Spirit 
be our teacher—let Thy word be our 
guide—let thy will be our sovereign 
motive—let Thy glory be our ultimate 
end. Let us make religion the principal 
thing—the one thing needful. Let us not 
live content with indefinite hopes of final 
safety. Let us not live half-way to Thee, 
with an eye to both worlds, and thus in¬ 
fallibly to forfeit both. Let our motto be 
“Pilgrims and strangers on the earth,”—- 
“we desire a better country.” 

Give us a salutary sense of the uncer¬ 
tainty of life. May we feel that the great 
secret of existence is to be in an habitual 
state of preparedness for a dying hour. 
We know not w r hat may be before us. 
Oh to be living, so that the step between 
us and death, may be a step between us 
and glory! 

Bless all connected with us by whatever 
tie. May w'e be able to love all our 
friends in Thee. May there be ties bind- 


FRIDAY MORNING. 


53 


mg us together which will survive the un¬ 
certain ones ol earth. Whether those 
who are now bending with us around thy 
throne or those who are absent, may an 
ever-present GOD be with them, guiding 
them by His grace, defending them from 
temptation, fitting them by the salutary 
dealings of His providence for the varied 
duties of the present life, and for the joys 
of His saints in glory everlasting. 

Bless the lambs of thy flock. [More 
especially those now before Thee.] We 
commend them to the Great Shepherd of 
the sheep, beseeching Him to make them 
perfect and to fold them in the arms of 
His mercy. We put ourselves, blessed 
God, in Thy hands. May all our doings 
this day, begun, carried on, and ended in 
Thee, redound, through JESUS, to Thy 
praise and glory! Amen. 

Our Father , &c. 

The graee of our Lord , &c. 


friints <$bnung, 

0 LORD our GOD, we desire to bow 
this night before the footstool of Thine 
eternal throne, adoring Thy holy name 
for all Thy great goodness. What are 
we that we should be permitted to come 
before Thy sacred presence, or take Thy 
thrice blessed name into our sinful and 
polluted lips. Thou hast not dealt with 
us after our sins, but after the superabund¬ 
ance of Thy rich and undeserved mercy. 

Thou art the Author of our being, and 
the source of all that makes existence joy* 
ous and happy; Thy favor alone is life. 
Bereft of Thee, we are bereft indeed. 

Enable us to feel our sins—to be under 
t deep and heart-felt consciousness of their 
heinousness in Thy sight. We are apt to 
cloak and dissemble them; we are reluc- 


FRIDAY EVENING. 


55 


tant to make a frank ingenuous confession 
of all; we are apt to plead our impotency 
when it is our unwillingness; we are apt 
to call that our misfortune which is our 
crime. LOUD, we cast ourselves ^wor¬ 
thy, on the infinite worthiness of Him who 
is aZZ-worthy. For His sake, receive us 
graciously—love us freely. We rejoice to 
meditate on the unmeasured depths of His 
love. We rejoice to think that it is the 
very same at this hour that it was then. 
He is loving us now with the same ever¬ 
lasting unchanging tenderness. He is 
faithful that promised— U I will never 
leave thee nor forsake thee.” 0 Thou 
great Angel of the everlasting covenant, 
do Thou accept of these our unworthy 
petitions; perfume them with the incense- 
cloud which ascends continually from Thy 
hand. Sanctify us body, soul, and spirit. 
Make Thy grace sufficient for us. There 
is no event but has its corresponding 
promise in Thy sure and well-ordered cov* 


56 


FIRST WEEK. 


enant. Make us altogether what Thou 
wouldst have us to be. Let us be willing 
to deny ourselves and take up our crow 
and follow thee. Let us not look for ai 
unruffled path. May we lay our account 
with much to humble us and to prove us. 
Enable us to war a good warfare. Strong 
in the LORD, and in the power of His 
might, may we go on our way rejoicing. 

Bless Thine own cause and kingdom 
everywhere. LORD, how long shall the 
wicked,—how long shall the wicked tri¬ 
umph ! Save Thy people, and bless Thine 
inheritance; feed them also, and lift them 
up forever. We would look forward to 
that blessed time when earth shall become 
one consecrated temple—when every day 
shall be a Sabbath—every heart an altar, 
every tongue praise—and JESUS CHRIST 
owned as LORD, to the Glory of GOD 
the Father! 

GOD of Bethel—Thou GOD of all the 
fam ilies of the earth, who hast promised 


1 


FRIDAY EVENING. 


57 


to show mercy to thousands of them that 
love Thee, do Thou bless our household 
and give to us the heritage of those that 
fear Thy name. [Bless the children, may 
they be now locked up in thy casket. May 
they all be found on the great day, among 
Thy Jewels. When they go forth into life, 
may they be enabled by Thy grace to re¬ 
sist temptation, and to beat down Satan 
under their feet.] Bless young and old, 
master and servants. Let none of us be 
left to seek at a dying hour, what may be 
found and should be sought, now. 

We would retire to rest this night “at 
peace with the world, ourselves and Thee,” 
—reposing in Thy gracious providence,— 
beseeching Thee, if it be thy will, to spare 
us to see the light and to enjoy the comforts 
of a new day, through JESUS CHRIST 
our only Saviour. Amen . 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace oj Our Lord , 


ip0nung* 

Most blessed GOD, whose nature and 
whose name is Love; we Thy dependant 
creatures desire to draw near this morning 
to the footstool of Thy throne. Vouchsafe 
us, we entreat Thee, Thy presence. We 
would begin this day with Thee. We 
would enter on all its duties supplicating 
Thy favor, feeling that that favor is life, 
and that all the happiness the world can 
give cannot compensate for the want of 
Thy blessing. 

We approach with deep humility. 
LORD we are vile, what shall we answer 
Thee ? Ours is not only the guilt of 
rebels, but the ingratitude of children. 
We have abused the care and the kind¬ 
ness of the best and most beneficent of 
Parents. We have known our doings tc 


SATURDAY MORNING. 


59 


bo sinful, and yet we have persevered in 
them. We have known what was in ac 
eordance with Thy will, and yet we have 
not followed it. We marvel that Thou 
hast borne with us so long, that Thou hast 
not consigned us without mercy to the 
doom of the cumberer. 

We would look away from ourselves 
unto Him who is our only Redeemer. We 
cast ourselves undone at His feet, feeling 
that if we are saved it must be by Him 
alone. Oh may we regard it as the might¬ 
iest and the grandest of all objects—to live 
for JESUS. May our holy and consistent 
walk betoken the power and influence of 
renewed affections. Let us seek, as Thy 
stewards, to fill our sphere whatever it 
may be; to “ adorn the doctrine of GOD 
our Saviour” just in the station in which 
His providence has placed us—feeling the-* 
happiness of an active and devoted obe¬ 
dience. Expel from us whatever is un¬ 
holy. May we have no truce with sin, nc 


60 


FIRST WEEK. 


tampering with trivial offences. Purge 
away all dross. Let us walk as the ex 
pectants of a glorious immortality. May 
we feel that we are Pilgrims, soon to be 
done with the world, and soon to be at 
home with GOD. 0 be Thou our constant 
guide in all our journeyings. Let us never 
pitch our tent but where Thou directest. 
Let us never hesitate when and where 
Thou callest us. Let us not arraign the 
Sovereign appointments and allotments of 
infinite love. All the circumstances of 
life—its joys and its sorrows—its comforts 
and crosses—all are arranged and ordained 
for us in adorable mercy and ineffable wis¬ 
dom. Thou LORD canst make no mistake. 
Man may err, Thou canst not. Our way 
might have been all strewn with thorns, 
but it has been paved with love. Give us 
to see written over every trying hour of 
the future— u So shall thy strength be.” 

Bless all near and dear to us. Defend 
our friends by Thy mighty power. Sur 


SATURDAY MORNING. 


61 


round them with Thy favor as with a 
shield, and bring them at last to the enjoy¬ 
ment of Thine immediate presence. Bless 
especially those now before Thee. [May 
our childen be the objects of Thy love, 
and the subjects of Thy grace; may they 
be enabled to say “Our Father, Thou shalt 
be the guide of our youth.”] We com¬ 
mend each and all of us this day to Thy 
keeping. Let us enter upon its duties with 
our souls stayed on Thee; seeking to show 
to the world that we have avouched Thee 
the LORD to be our GOD. And all that 
we ask is in the name and for the sake of 
the LORD JESUS, in whose name and 
words we would further call Thee— 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of Our Lord , dec. 


0 GOD ALMIGHTY, Thou Sovereign 
Proprietor of the Universe, do Thou bow 
Thine ear, as on this the close of another 
day,—when another week of mercy is 
receding,—we venture to approach the 
throne of the heavenly grace. Father! 
we have sinned against Heaven and in Thy 
sight, we are no more worthy to be called 
Thy children. Long ere now mightest 
Thou have turned away Thy face from us, 
and our prayer from Thee. We are won¬ 
ders to ourselves that we are still spared. 
What sins on our part, yet nothing but 
forbearance on Thine. What aggravated 
ingratitude on our part, yet the LOUD 
“multiplying” to pardon! What sinning 
against privilege — slighting warning —- 


SATURDAY EVENING. 


63 


grieving Thy Spirit, and yet for all this, 
Thy hand of mercy is stretched out still! 

LORD we desire to remember how it is 
we are thus preserved. It is all in the Son 
of Thy love; for His work’s sake—His 
obedience and righteousness sake. But 
for Him, this must have been our awful 
history—“without GOD—without hope.” 
We plead anew His finished atonement. 
It is all we require, living or dying. We 
would glory in nothing but His cross. 
He is a complete Saviour, and we are com¬ 
plete in Him. Give us to know the blessed¬ 
ness of the words, “No condemnation.” 
Let us not rest, until with appropriating 
faith, we can say, “We know whom 
we have believed, and we are persuaded 
He is able to keep that which we have 
committed unto Him.” “ He loved us , and 
gave Himself for us” 

May Thy HOLY SPIRIT take of the 
things that are CHRIST’S and show them 
unto our souls. May He touch our hearts 


84 


FIRST WEEK. 


as with a live coal from off Thy holy altar. 
May He sanctify us—body, soul, and spirit 
If led often to mourn over our dulness and 
coldness and lukewarmness here, may it La 
ours to look forward to that coming day 
of glory, when every thought and every 
desire will be in perfect unison with the 
mind of the adorable GOT)—when there 
shall be nothing to mar the joy of entire 
and undivided consecration to Thy service. 

Bless our beloved friends both near and 
at a distance, may they all be equally near 
to Thee; may there be no separation be¬ 
tween them and Thy favor. May each of 
us feel that the ^reat and all-important 
secret of existence is to be living in con¬ 
stant and habitual preparation for eternity. 
Let us cast anchor now within the veil, 
that we may not know what it is at the 
hour of death to be left to the mercy of 
the storm. 

Pity a careless ungodly world—arrest 
the spread of impiety—establish the reign 


SATURDAY EVENING. 


65 


of purity and righteousness. Give us grace 
to be faithful among the faithless; resolving 
that whatever others do, as for us, we will 
serve the LORD. 

Be with us this night. Watch over ua 
as we sleep. May night after night of calm 
and refreshing slumber be to us the emblem 
of that better rest above, when in perfect 
security, we shall dwell in the house of the 
LORD forever. Prepare us for the solemn 
services of Thy holy day. Attune our 
minds for its holy calm. May each recur¬ 
ring Sabbath, as it finds us farther on in 
our pilgrimage find us nearer glory; 
and all that we ask is for the Redeemer’s 
sake. Amen. 

Our Father , 

The Grace of our Lord , &c. 

5 


SECOND WEEK. 


Smttaji Panting. 

Most gracious GOD, who hast in Thy 
good providence again permitted us to see 
the light of Thy Holy Sabbath—do Thou 
draw near to us in Tliy great mercy. Thou 
hast dispersed the darkness of another 
natural night, may the Sun of Righteous¬ 
ness arise upon us with healing in His 
beams. May our fellowship this day, be 
with the Father and with His Son JESUS 
CHRIST. May all sinful and unworthy 
thoughts be repressed. May the world be 
excluded, that we may be alone with GOD. 

We thank Thee for the stated return of 
this season of holy calm when away from 
the feverish anxieties of earth, we may give 



SUNDAY MORNING. 


67 


heed to the things which concern onr ever¬ 
lasting peace. In the shadow of Thy 
wings we would rejoice! 

We bless Thee for the gieat truth which 
this day, more especially commemorates, 
that JESUS has burst the bands of the 
grave and triumphed over principalities 
and powers. The LORD is risen! He hath 
satisfied all the demands of GOD’S holy 
law, finished transgression, made an end 
of sin, and brought in an everlasting, 
righteousness. The LORD is risen! He 
hath fully vanquished all our foes, Satan’s 
power is overthrown, and the kingdom of 
heaven is opened to all believers. May 
we be enabled this day, to rise by faith 
with our risen LORD, and walk with 
Him in newness of life. 

We take refuge anew, at the foot of the 
cross. Guilty, weak, worthless, perishing, 
we come to Him who is u the guiltless One,” 
bringing infinite unworthiness to infinite 
merit and all sufficiency. Wash us, Oh 


68 


SECOND WEEK. 


wash us, blessed Saviour, in the fountain 
of Thy blood. May Thy grace bring us 
aud keep us nearer Thee. Nothing in our 
selves, may we possess all things in JESUS. 
Self-abased, and self-emptied, may we be 
“complete in Him.” 

Let us cleave unto Him with full purpose 
of heart. Let there be no halting between 
two opinions. Let us ever bear about with 
us the recollection that time is short. Let 
us live as if this Sabbath were to be our 
last. May a sacred spirit pervade all its 
services. Let the gleanings of the Sabbath 
form the food of our souls during the 
week. May something that we shall hear 
this day come home with power to our 
hearts, and form a hallowed preservative 
against the world’s snares, and dangers, 
and temptations. 

We pray for those who dishonor Thy 
Sabbaths, and profane Thy holy name, who 
reject the offers of Thy grace, and continue 
in alienation and sin. Ere the door of 


SUNDAY MORNING. 


69 


mercy is forever shut, do Thou turn them 
from their wickedness, point them to 
T ESUS, and show them that “neither is 
Jiere salvation in any other.” Unfold to 
them the fearfulness of meeting Thee as 
they are, unpardoned and unreconciled. 
Let them know the preciousness of that 
precious assurance, “He is able to save 
unto the uttermost.” 

Thou GOD of all consolation, draw 
near to the afflicted. Abundantly sanctify 
Thy dealings. Stay Thy rough wind in 
the day of Thy east wind. May this 
thought silence every murmur, “He that 
spared not His own Son, but freely gave 
Him up unto death for us all, how shall 
He not with Him also, freely give us all 
things.” 

GOD of Bethel, do Thou bless all re¬ 
lated to us by endearing bonds of earthly 
affection. May they evermore have affi¬ 
ance in Thee. Shepherd of Israel! Thou 
who leadest Joseph like a flock, may they 


70 


SECOND WEEK. 


be safe under Thy tender guidance, and 
repose in Thy love. [Bless our children, 
pour Thy rich grace into their hearts. Let 
them not fall a prey to the allurements and i 
enticements of a present evil world, but 
may they walk as seeing Thee, who art 
invisible.] 

Let Thy mercy, 0 GOD, be upon us, 
according as we hope in Thee; and when 
our Sabbaths on earth are ended, may 
ours, at last, be an unending Sabbath in 
Thy presence and favor. And all that we 
ask is in the name and for the sake of Him 
whom Thou hearest always, and to whom 
with Thee the Father, and Thee, 0 Eternal 
Spirit, one GOD, be ascribed all blessing 
and honor, and glory and praise, world 
without end. Amen. 

Our Father , <&c. 

The Grace of our Lord , &c. 


Snul raj (Bit ninj. 

ALMIGHTY AND EVERLASTING 
GOD, we desire to draw near to the foot¬ 
stool of Thy throne of grace, thanking 
Thee for all the mercies of the past day. 
We will set up our Ebenezer of gratitude, 
and say, u The LORD hath helped us.” 
We bless Thee that Thou hast permitted 
us, once more, on earth, to enjoy the rest 
and the quiet of Thy holy Sabbath; that 
again we have been invited to hush 
worldly disquietudes and cares, and have 
our minds stayed on GOD. Pardon what¬ 
ever Thou hast seen amiss in our ap¬ 
proaches to Thee. May our persons and 
our services be accepted in the Beloved. 
May they be perfumed with the fragrance 
of His adorable merits. 

We desire anew this night to repair to 


72 


SECOND WEEK. 


the same opened fountain. We disown 
all trust in ourselves. Other refuge, other 
righteousness we have none. Our helpless 
souls hang in simple dependence on the 
finished work of JESUS. We are safe 
only when clinging to the horns of the 
blood-besprinlded altar. Give us to know 
the inward joy of being at peace with 
Thee. Happiness is a stranger to the 
heart that is a stranger to GOI). Nothing 
but Thy love can fill up its aching voids. 
Every blessing we would desire to con¬ 
nect with Thee. Every rill of creative 
bounty we would trace to Thyself its 
fountain head. Every cross and loss we 
would, with unmurmuring lips, submit to, 
as the appointment of Thy wisdom. The 
roughest path we would tread if Thou 
leadest us there! 

May all Thy dealings toward us issue 
in our sanctification. May our hearts be 
becoming holier and better. Transform 
us from day to day, and from v week to 


SUNDAY EVENING. 


week, more into the image of Thy Son, 
that we may at last be presented faultless 
before the presence of Thy glory with ex¬ 
ceeding joy. 

We pray for all who may have wor¬ 
shipped with us this day. May grace, 
mercy, and peace be upon them, and 
upon the whole Israel of GOD. Bless 
Thy ministering servants, more especially 
those who have spoken unto us Thy 
blessed Word. Out of the abundance of 
their hearts, may their lips ever speak; 
may they ever hear the sound of their 
Shepherd’s voice, and be workmen needing 
not to be ashamed. 

Extend Thy cause and kingdom every¬ 
where. May the glorious Gospel of the 
grace of God speedily triumph over all the 
pride, and reason, and will-worship, and 
delusion of man. Arise, 0 GOD, and 
plead Thine own cause. May it long be 
our blessed privilege to repair without 
let or hinderance to the living waters of 


74 


SECOND WEEK. 


Eternal Salvation. Continue to us the 
bliss of unbroken Sabbaths, and quiet 
sanctuaries, and peaceful communions. 

Bless our family. 0 Thou, who didst 
bring from the dead the LORD JESUS, 
that Great Shepherd of the sheep, through 
the blood of the everlasting Covenant, do 
Thou make them all perfect to do Thy 
will, working in them that which is well¬ 
pleasing in Thy sight. May each one be 
found among Thy sealed myriads at last, 
—members of the white-robed multitude 
who shall u go no more out.” May our 
friends who are at a distance from us, be 
protected and guarded by Thy gracious 
providence. “The Lord watch between 
them and us when we are absent one from 
another —may their names also be writ¬ 
ten among u the living in Jerusalem.” 
Teach us all to be walking as Pilgrims and 
strangers on the earth—sojourners as all 
our Fathers were—looking for that Messed 
hope, even the glorious appearing of the 


SUNDAY EVENING. 


75 


great GOD our SAVIOUR. May we pass 
the time of our sojourning here in fear—• 
prepared for whatever may be Thy will 
concerning us—for health or for sickness 
—for joy or for sorrow—for life or for 
death. i 

As the curtains of night are now draw¬ 
ing around us, be pleased to grant us Thy 
guardian care. Shepherd of Israel, may 
Thy wakeful, sleepless eye be upon us. 
May the shadows of this night’s darkness 
be to us only as the shadow of. Thy wings. 
Shield soul and body by Thy mighty 
power. Lying down in Thy fear, may we 
awake in Thy favor, fitted for all the calk 
and duties of a new day. And all this we 
ask for the sake of JESUS CHRIST, our 
only Saviour. Amen . 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord,\ Ac, 


ittfttlras Panting* 


O LORD, Thou art glorious in holiness, 
fearful in praises, continually doing won¬ 
ders. "We marvel to think that the great¬ 
est of all Beings can stoop to hear our 
prayers, and listen to our wants. It is be¬ 
cause Thou art God and not man, that we 
are still in the land of the living, and in 
the place of hope. We have done every¬ 
thing to weary Thee with our multiplied 
provocations. We have been living in a 
state of guilty atheism. We have left Thy 
bounty unacknowledged—Thy love unre¬ 
quited. We mourn our unthankful hearts, 
our ungodly lives, our deep corruptions, 
our utter selfishness. Impress us with the 
sense of our guilt. Let us not be blinded 
to its turpitude, or become hardened and 
insensible to its power. Let us feel it is 


MONDAY MORNING. 


77 


no light matter to sin against GOD, and to 
be living in daily unconcern of His great 
mercies. Sinners—the chief of sinners— 
we can flee to none other than a waiting 
and willing Redeemer. But blessed be 
Thy name, He is waiting to be gracious. 
All the mighty load of our guilt we trans¬ 
fer to this adorable Surety. He has al¬ 
ready borne it all. He has satisfied all 
the holy requirements of Thy righteous 
law. As our Kinsman and Elder Brother 
He is now within the veil, as willing as He 
ever was, to save unto the uttermost. 

While we look to Him as the LORD 
our Righteousness, may w r e know Him 
also as the Lord our strength. May we im¬ 
bibe more of His blessed Spirit. May we 
be learners at His feet—learning to deny 
ourselves—to bear all that He chooses, 
without a murmuring word. Blessed 
JESUS ! Thou hast all —art all and canst 
do all for us. Be Thou everything to us 
—and everything for us—and everything 


78 


SECOND WEEK. 


in us. "We desire to bury our sins in the 
ocean-depths of Thy love. May we be en¬ 
abled to advance in holiness as we follow 
the footsteps of Thine unsullied life—to 
reflect Thy purity. May religion penetrate 
with its leavening power every daily duty. 
May we act under the feeling “ we are not 
our own ”■—Consecrated soul and body to 
the LORD who died for us, may life become 
one tribute and offering to Thy praise. 
May we leave nothing to a dying hour, 
but to die at peace with Thee, and to have 
our souls filled with hopes of Heaven. 

LORD bless our friends—reward our 
benefactors—forgive our enemies. May 
our household ever have Thy gracious 
benediction resting upon it. May every 
member of our family, near and at a dis¬ 
tance, have the seal of GOD on their 
foreheads, and be numbered with Thy 
saints in glory everlasting Pour Thy rich 
grace into the hearts of the young. Oh let 
them not suffer golden moments to pass by 


MONDAY MORNING. 


79 


misimproved. Preserve them from the 
snares of a wicked world. Let them know 
the happiness of living at peace with Thee. 

Look in kindness on the sick, the sor¬ 
rowful, the aged, the bereaved, and the 
dying. Accommodate Thy grace to their 
varied wants and trials. Let them take 
refuge in the very arms that are chastising 
them, rejoicing that the thread of life is in 
Thy hands. 

Hear these our humble prayers. And 
may the grace of the LORD JESUS, and 
the love of GOD, and the communion and 
fellowship of the HOLY SPIRIT, be with 
us all, now and ever. Amen . 

. Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord, &c. 


SUttfcas dimunjj* 


MOST GRACIOUS GOD, Father of all 
mercies, GOD of our salvation, we desire 
this evening to approach the footstool of 
Thy Throne of Grace. We would end an¬ 
other day of mercy with the tribute of 
grateful hearts. What shall we render 
unto Thee for all Thy benefits ? Never for 
a solitary moment hast Thou withdrawn 
from us Thy hand of love. We may well 
have no anxious thought about the mor¬ 
row, when we have such a GOD on whom 
to cast “ all our cares,” and who has given 
us in the past so many wondrous proofs 
that “ He careth for us !” 

We desire anew to cast ourselves on the 
merits and righteousness of Thy dear Son. 
May this be the history of each of us, “ the 
Chief of Sinners, but I obtained mercy!” 


MONDAY EVENING-. 


81 


That mercy has been bestowed on guilty 
thousands, and it is still free to us. We 
take refuge in the unchanging assurance 
that “ He is able to save unto the utter¬ 
most.” 

O LORD, take these hearts of ours and 
make them Thine. May our inmost 
thoughts, and desires, and purposes, be 
dedicated to Thy glory. May we be liv¬ 
ing as the expectants of immortality, walk¬ 
ing worthy of' the Lord unto all well¬ 
pleasing, being fruitful in every good word 
and work. May our time and talents be 
laid out for Thee, that when our LORD 
cometh He may receive His own with 
usury. 

Bless all the family of the afflicted. 
The God of all consolation, bind up their 
wounds. Keep them from a hasty spirit, 
under dark dispensations. Let them know 
and believe that infinite love is in all Thine 
arrangements, that finite wusdom. has'fio 
place in Thy dealings, that He with whom 


82 


SECOND WEEK. 


they have to do, cannot do wrong. LOUD, 
give us all this lowly spirit of submission 
to Thy will. Whether Thou chasten us, 
or gladden us, whether prosperity or ad¬ 
versity be our portion, oh bring us nearer 
Thee. May Thy dealings serve to trim 
the lamp of faith and keep it brightly 
burning. 

Extend Thy covering wings over all 
whom we love. May none of our friends 
be unbefriended by Thee. Bless our own 
immediate household—sprinkle its lintels 
with the blood of Jesus. [Write the 
names of servants and of children in the 
Lamb’s book of life.] May we all at last 
be included in the closing invitation to 
His church, “ Come ye blessed of my 
Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for 
you, from the foundation of the world!” 
Soon the tale of life will be told. Oh 
that we might all be living in the joyful 
expectancy of a better life. May our lives 
now be hid with CHRIST in GOD, that 


MONDAY EVENING. 


83 


when CHRIST, who is our life, shall ap« 
pear, we may also appear with Him in 
glory. 

Watch Thou over us during the uncon¬ 
scious hours of sleep. May we close our 
eyes at peace with thee, and awake re¬ 
freshed and invigorated for the duties of a 
new day. 

Hear these our unworthy petitions, and 
when Thou hearest, forgive, and grant ua 
an answer in peace, for the Redeemer’s 
sake. Amen. 

Our Father. &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , 


ftusintg fUnung- 


0 THOU ETERNAL JEHOVAH— 
KING of Kings, and LORD of Lords, en¬ 
able us to draw nigh unto Thee, this 
morning, rejoicing that we have such a 
Throne of Grace ever open—that through 
the merits of Thy dear Son, our only 
Saviour, we can be received, and wel¬ 
comed, and loved. Ere we enter on the 
day’s duties, may a shower of heavenly 
blessing descend to refresh our souls. If 
we are blessed by Thee, we must be blest 
indeed. 

We confess our great unworthiness— 
our sins of thought, word, and action—our 
sins of omission and commission—our sins 
against light, and privilege, and provi- 
dence, and grace. 

We cast our every burden upon Him 


TUESDAY MORNING. 


85 


who hath “borne our griefs and carried 
our sorrows.” May we dismiss all oui 
)wu guilty dependence, all our own sinful 
misgivings, and cast ourselves on Ilia 
grace and strength. We rejoice in Him 
as “ God only wise!” We would hear His 
directing voice in all the devious paths of 
life. Hold Thou us up, blessed JESUS, 
and we shall be safe. Thou doest all 
things well, and‘no thing but what is well. 
Let us rely on Thy guiding arm. Let us 
merge our wills in Thine, and with the 
teachableness of little children be willing 
to say—LORD, undertake thou for us. 
We will lean upon Thee for little things 
as well as for great things, in trifles as 
well as in emergencies. In the shadow of 
Thy wings we have in the past rejoiced, 
and we will trust Thee still—Oh let us nev¬ 
er lose sight, in the midst of earth’s cares 
and pursuits, of our immortal destinies. 
Let us wear more of the Pilgrim Spirit. 
Let us have more weanedness of Soul—tha 


86 


SECOND WEEK. 


eye more upwards—the footsteps more 
onwards. Let us not forego fleeting oppor¬ 
tunities. May we feel that with many of 
us it may be now or never. In every. 
Providence may we hear, as it were, an 
angers voice saying to us, “Why sleep 
ye, arise! let us be going,” “ the night is far 
spent, the day is at hand.” May each be 
led in our respective spheres, to ask, LOUD 
what wouldst Thou have us to do ? Let us 
all seek to do something , and if we are 
forbidden to do much in the way of active 
service, may we endeavor to exhibit the 
impressive tenor of a holy life, desiring to 
leaven even our commoner duties with the 
fear of GOD. 

Bless the members of this household. 
May they walk before Thee with a perfect 
heart. May the young be enabled to adorn 
the doctrine of GOD their Saviour in all > 
things. May the servants be enabled to 
live out and act out the lofty motto—“ We 
serve the LORD CHRIST.” 


TUESDAY MORNING. 


87 


Bless onr native land. Bless all in 
authority. May righteousness run down 
our streets as a mighty stream. May that 
glorious day soon arrive, when the wilder¬ 
ness and the solitmy place shall be made 
glad, and the desert shall rejoice and blos¬ 
som as the rose. 0 LORD revive Thy 
work in the midst of the years. 

We commend ourselves to Thee. Guide 
us—provide for us—go before us. Let us 
have the conscious assurance that GOD is 
for us, and. then none can be against us. 

And now, LORD, what wait we for? 
our hope is in Thee. We have no care 
of our own, we cast our cares upon Him 
who careth for us. Prepare us for living 
—prepare us for dying. And all we ask 
is for the LORD JESUS CHRIST’S 
sake. Amen. 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord. &c. 


0 LORD we desire io draw near to the 
footstool of Thine Eternal Throne. We 
have been permitted to discharge the 
duties of another day. We bless Thee 
for all the renewed proofs we have had of 
Thy care and kindness. Multitudes have 
this day been pining in sickness and 
racked with pain, laid on beds of lan¬ 
guishing and death—we are still among 
the living to praise Thee! But far above 
all Thine other gifts, we bless Thee for 
Thine inestimable love in the Redemption 
of a lost and fallen world, for the means 
of grace and for the hopes of glory. 
We bless Thee that JESUS Thy well- 
beloved Son has brought in an everlasting 
righteousness—that He has magnified Thy 
law, and made it honorable—that even 


TUESDAY EVENING. 


89 


the dark va]ley has been lighted up with 
His love, and the gate of Heaven opened 
to all believers. 

Discover to us the depths of our do* 
pravity, unveil to us the secret pride, and 
selfishness, and worldliness of our hearts. 
Show to us our besetting sins. Let us see 
their vileness in the cross of Thy dear Son. 
May our hearts become living altars, and 
our lives living sacrifices; yielding our 
members as instruments of righteousness 
unto holiness, may we serve Thee in new¬ 
ness of spirit. 

LORD, we know the proneness of the 
natural heart to put off the solemn consid¬ 
eration of the one thing needful. Many 
have lived with good intentions and yet 
have perished; let it not be so with us; let 
us live with the conscious feeling that a 
vast immortality lieth before us. 

Let us not be slumbering and sleeping; 
let us not be among the number of the pre¬ 
sumptuous ones, who are saying, “ the 


90 


SECOND WEEK. 


LORD delayeth His coining.” Let us 
be ever ready, ever watching with the 
girded loins and burning lamps, so that 
when the summons shall come “Arise, let 
us be going,” we may be ready with the 
response, u Lo! this is our GOD, we have 
waited for Him.” 

May the seal of Thy covenant mercy 
rest this evening on all now before Thee. 
[Master and servant, parents and children, 
young and old.] Every night as it 
gathers its shadows around us, reminds 
us of the approach of the long night of 
death. May it lead us to think of the 
awakening time in that glorious morning 
when in the full vision and fruition of 
GOD, earth’s shadows and darkness shall 
forever flee away. 

Bless the aged, may Thy favor and 
love be to their hoary hairs a crown of 
glory. Bless the young, may they early 
know what are alone the ways of pleasant¬ 
ness and the paths of peace. Bless the 


TUESDAY EVENING. 


91 


afflicted—tlie bereaved—tlie forsaken—* 
tlie dying; may they know Him who hath 
said “I will never leave thee, nor forsake 
thee.” 

Give ns all grace to trust Thee implicitly 
even when Thy dealings cross our own 
purposes and frustrate our wills. Thou 
lovest us too well to let us have our own 
way. Let us know no will but Thine— 
following Thy. guiding footsteps, may we 
say, “The LORD is our Shepherd, we 
shall not want.” Watch over us, blessed 
LORD, this night. May Thy good angels 
encamp round about us. Give us refresh¬ 
ing sleep, even the sleep of Thy beloved; 
may we lie down to rest in Thy fear, aild 
awake in Thy favor; and all that we ask 
is in the name of Him who, while he was 
on earth, taught us thus to pray, saying, 

Our father &c. 

The Grace of our Lord, &c. 


II{fontsfra2 Horning. 

0 GOD ALMIGHTY, — KING of 
Kings, and Lord of Lords. Thou art the 
Maker, Monarch, Proprietor, and Judge 
of all. We approach Thee as our Cove¬ 
nant GOD and Father, trusting in the 
name and merits of our adorable Redeem¬ 
er. What mercy it is, that we have such 
a refuge to repair to! that amid our own 
faithlessness we have such a faithful saying 
as this, “that JESUS CHRIST came into 
the world to save the chief of sinners.” 
We renounce all dependence on ourselves 
—wretched and miserable, and poor and 
blind, and naked—we take Thee as all our 
salvation and all our desire. 

Blessed GOD, we are no judges of what 
is good for us—what blessings are best to 
receive—what fancied good is best with- 


WEDNESDAY MORNING. 9 6 

holden. We would often seek what is not 
for our well-being; but we rejoice in the 
infinite wisdom and unutterable tenderness 
manifested in all thine allotments. Let 
us ever feel contented with this assurance, 
regarding each and all, u This also cometh 
from the LORD of hosts.” May we live 
conscious of the predominating motive of 
love to Thee. May we seek in every 
providence to hear Thy voice, in every 
event to read Thy will. May we refuse 
to listen where Thou dost not speak to us. 
Where Thy voice is heard may there be 
the willing response, u Lord, here am I.” 
May we feel Thy favor lightening every 
cross and lessening every care. LORD, 
give us more of the simplicity of little 
children. Keep us watchful and humble, 
and thankful. Keep us from pride and 
vain-glory; from all envy and unchari- 
tableness; from all evil surmisings and 
unkind insinuations; all that would exalt 
ourselves at the expense of others. May 


94 


SECOND WEEK. 


we learn to esteem others bettei than 
ourselves. 

Look in great mercy on all the family 
)f sorrow. Blessed LORD who wert Thy¬ 
self the Man of sorrows, do Thou whisper 
gently to them, “ I am JESUS.” Man’s 
sympathy can go but a short way;—Thine 
can vibrate to every cord of the broken 
spirit. Teach us all in the midst of health 
and strength to prepare for the hour of 
adversity. There is nothing permanent 
here. The most secure fabric of earthly 
happiness may in a moment be swept 
down. Give us to know what it is to look 
to a strong tower which cannot be shaken, 
but remains. We are in our true rest if 
we are in Thee. Do Thou gladden our 
pathway through life. May we be lighted 
through the dark valley with the torch of 
Thy love, and may we know Thee at last 
true to Thy promise. u The LORD GOD 
is a Sun and Shield—the LORD will give 
grace and glory.” 


WEDNESDAY MORNING. 


95 


GOD of Bethel, we commend our 
family to Thy care—all related to us by 
whatever tie. Seal to them an interest 
in the everlasting covenant. [Bless the 
young. May they know the happiness of 
those who fear Thee. Great Shepherd of 
the Sheep ! preserve them from the snares 
of a world lying in wickedness. May 
they be early “ taught of GOD,” and so 
inherit Thine own promise to such—• 
u Great shall be their peace.”] 

Take us under Thy love this day. 
“Keep us, oh! keep us, KING of Kings, 
beneath Thine own overshadowing wings.” 
May all our duties be gladdened with a 
sense of Thy presence and/love. May we 
have a single eye in all we think and say 
and do to the glory of Him, in whose 
most precious words we would farther 
pray—saying, 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of Our Lord , &c. 


tSUirnnlnrg Glutting* 


O ETERNAL EVERLASTING GOD, 
Fountain of all happiness, GOD of all 
grace, we desire to acknowledge with, 
grateful hearts Thine undeserved mercies. 
Thou hast made our cup to overflow with 
blessings. From the very threshold of 
our being, Thou hast been our Protector 
and Guardian — Thou hast shielded us 
from unknown dangers—Thou hast warded 
off unseen calamities—Thou hast exempted 
us from bitter trials—no earthly friend 
could have loved us and cared for us like 
Thee—we are the monuments of a kind¬ 
ness as amazing as it is undeserved. 

We bless Thee for the liberty of access 
at all times into Thy sacred presence. All 
our askings cannot be above our wants, for 
we need everything ; but Thou hast prom- 


WEDNESDRY EVENING. 


97 


«ed in JESUS, Thine own dear Son, to 
make us perfect and entire, wanting no¬ 
thing. Anew as helpless, hopeless, friend¬ 
less, portionless, we cast ourselves on Him 
who is help, and hope, and friend, and 
portion to all who seek Him. We can 
have no satisfying trust but in His pardon¬ 
ing, peace-imparting blood. Oh sprinkle 
these guilty polluted hearts with it. Hide 
us in the clefts of the smitten Rock. Let us 
not live another hour in conscious distance 
and estrangement from Thee, our GOD; 
but bring us nigh by the power of Thy 
divine grace and Spirit. We mourn our 
guilty departures, our coldness and in¬ 
sensibility. Nothing in ourselves, we look 
for everything in Thee. Let Thy won¬ 
drous patience and kindness lead us to re¬ 
pentance. We are here this night a com¬ 
ment on Thine own gracious declaration— 
“ I have no pleasure in the death of him 
that dieth, but rather that he would turn 
from his wickedness and live.” Turn 


98 


SECOND WEEK. 


Thou us, LOED, and we shall be turned; 
draw us and we shall run after Thee. 
Let us not deceive ourselves any longer 
with a name to live. May every thought 
and affection, and feeling, and temper, be 
brought into captivity to the obedience of 
JESUS. May we love what He loves and 
hate what He hates. May we know the 
happiness of true holiness, and experience 
somewhat of the joy of angels, in doing 
Thy holy will on earth as they do it in 
Heaven. Fill us with all joy and peace 
in believing, that we may abound in hope 
through the power of the Holy Ghost. j 
Bless our family and friends; may ours 
be a household where the GOD of salva¬ 
tion dwells. May every member of it be 
zealous in the promotion of Thy glory. 
As our moments are gliding swiftly by, 
may we all be up and doing. Forbid that 
any among us should be found seeking oil 
when the lamp of life is going out. Do 
Thou, even now, good LOED, from Thine 


WEDNESDAY EVENING. 


99 


own mercy-seat replenish onr empty vessels 
—our cry would be, u more grace! more 
grace !” Let us all be living with a dying 
hour in view. Let us die daily to sin, and 
live daily to GOD, that when the hour of 
our earthly departure arrives, it may be to 
all of us the birth-day of a new life, in 
glory everlasting. 

We ask all these manifold blessings, for 
ourselves and for others, in the name and 
for the sake of our adorable LORD and 
Saviour, who is now within the veil; 
where with Thee, 0 Eternal Father, and 
Thee, 0 ever-blessed Comforter, three in 
one, in covenant for our redemption, He 
ever liveth and re r gneth, world without 
end. Amen. 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , <&c. 


HHranliag ginning. 

0 GOD, another day has in mercy 
dawned upon us. We desire to enter on 
its every duty, with minds sanctified by 
Thy grace, and seeking that throughout 
it, all our doings may be ordered by Thy 
governance, that we may be enabled to do 
those things that are pleasing in Thy sight 
and to promote the glory of Thy Holy name. 

We bless Thee for all the loving kind¬ 
ness Thou hast hitherto made to pass before 
us. The past is one life-long experience 
of patience and forb ;arance. From our 
earliest infancy Thy protecting hand has 
been around us—shielding us from unseen 
dangers, “preventing us with the blessings 
of Thy goodness.” We are the miracles 
of Thy providence, and the monuments of 
Thy grace. We bless Thee especially for 




THURSDAY MORNING. 


101 


JESUS, Thine unspeakable gift What 
poor miserable, helpless creatures we should 
have been forever, but for Him. But He 
is both willing and able, and as willing as 
he is able. Oh let us not erect barriers to 
His free love and grace when He erects 
none. Let us not be inventing the vain 
excuses which pride and self-righteousness 
suggest, when He is throwing wide open 
the doors of mercy and proclaiming u as I 
live, I have no pleasure in the death of 
Him that dieth.” 

Let us no longer be rocked asleep by 
our sins,—enjoying the means of grace 
yet trifling with convictions. Let us live 
for immortality. May we lt occupy” till 
our LORD comes. Let each feel that we 
have a sphere to fill, and a part to act. 
Let us all try to witness for GOD, by the 
testimony of a holy life. May this be our 
habitual motto—“what manner of persons 
ought we to be in all holy conversation 
and godliness ?” 


102 


SECOND WEEK. 


We commend, gracious GOD to Thee^ 
all tire family of affliction. Take them 
to the inner chambers of Thy Covenan 
faithfulness, and speak comfortably unto 
them. It is behind the cloud Thou often 
speakest most tenderly—teaching precious 
lessons which in no way else could be 
taught. Let Thy suffering people wait 
till they hear the “ still small voice.” It 
may tarry—but let them wait for it; call¬ 
ing upon Thee in the day of trouble, and 
experiencing Thy delivering hand, may 
they be led to “ glorify Thee.” Teach us 
all to be giving the season of health and 
strength to “the GOD of our life;” that 
when the night cometh, we may be enabled 
to resign the trust of existence to its great 
Proprietor—and say, “now, LORD, lettest 
thou Thy servant depart in peace.” 

Bless our beloved friends; forbid that 
any one of them should be found wanting 
on the day when Thou makest up Thy 
jewels. May they all be set as gems in 


THURSDAY MORNING 


103 


Immanuel’s crown, and be found unto 
praise, and honor, and glory, at his second 
appearing. 

The LORD be with us this day; may 
the everlasting arms be underneath and 
round about us; may we be diligent in 
business, fervent in spirit, serving the 
LORD; looking forward with joyful hearts 
to that better world where we shall have 
no contrariety of mind to Him, when we 
shall be with GOD and like GOD, serving 
Him without distraction; and where sin 
and sorrow are no more felt and dreaded. 
And all that we ask is for JESUS’ sake. 
Amen . 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , &c. 


0 GOD, we bless Thee for Thy great 
mercy, that we are again permitted to ap¬ 
proach the Throne of the Heavenly grace. 
Many have been summoned this day into 
eternity. We have been spared. The cur¬ 
tains of night have again fallen around us 
in peace. 

We bless Thee for the continuance of 
health and strength, and many outward 
blessings. We bless Thee for the crown¬ 
ing mercy of all—JESUS Thine unspeak¬ 
able gift. We rejoice to think that all the 
perfections of GOD are addressing us from 
Ilis cross with the voice of welcome; 
that Thou art in Him reconciling a lost 
world unto Thyself;—that though thou¬ 
sands of needy outcast suppliants have re¬ 
paired to Him, yet still the Fountain of 


THURSDAY EVENING. 


105 


His blood is free as ever. This is still His 
name and memorial—“Mighty to save.” 

LORD, we come to Thee, casting our 
infinite demerits and sins on His infinite 
and all-sufficient righteousness. Wash 
every guilty stain away. Forgive our sins 
of omission and sins of commission. May 
the Angel be caused to fly swiftly and 
touch us in this the time of our evening 
oblation. One day’s transgressions are 
enough to condemn us. There is nothing 
but the sacrifice and continual intercession 
of our Great High Priest, between us and 
everlasting destruction. It is His free and 
all-powerful grace alone that, from hour tc 
hour averts from us temptations which we 
could have no strength in ourselves to re¬ 
sist. 0 GOD, in mercy, deny us not this 
grace of Thine. May we ourselves be 
sober and vigilant, ever on the watch- 
tower, guarding every loop-hole most open 
to the assaults of our great enemy. In all 
time of our tribulation—in all time of our 


106 


SECOND WEEK. 


wealth, in the hour of death, and at the 
day of Judgment, good LORD deliver us. 

Come forth out of Zion, and turn away 
ungodliness from Jacob. Instruct the ig¬ 
norant—reclaim the wanderer—save the 
obdurate and impenitent. Oh convince 
them, ere it be too late, that there is no 
loss comparable to the loss of the soul— 
to be left Godless and hopeless, and por¬ 
tionless forever! Point them to the Lamb 
of GOD—cleanse them in the atoning 
blood—make them the monuments of Thine 
adorable mercy. Look down in kindness 
on all who are in affliction. Draw near to 
those who may be bereaved of near and 
dear friends;—be Thou to them better 
than the name of Son or Daughter, or any 
earthly relative;—may they know that He 
is faithful that promised — U I will never 
leave Thee nor forsake thee.” 

Bless all our beloved friends; write their 
names in the Lamb’s Book of Life; may 
the pillar of Thy presence go before them; 


THURSDAY EVENING. 107 

may it never leave tliem till it leaves them 
in glory. 

Bless our own family, may every name 
be set in the breastplate of the true Aaron. 
[Bless the children, may they all be taught 
of the LORD, and great shall be their 
peace.] Bless the servants, may they walk 
before Thee with a perfect heart as seeing 
Him who is invisible. 

May the ALMIGHTY wings over¬ 
shadow us during the silent watches of the 
night, and when we awake, may we awake 
to praise Thee, and to use the powers and 
the talents committed to us, to Thy glory. 
And all that we ask is for the sak^ of 
JESUS CHRIST, our blessed LORD and 
SAVIOUR. Amen . 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , &c r 


Iriks iknunij. 

OUR FATHER who art in Heaven, 
what are we, sinful dust and ashes, that 
we should be permitted, morning after 
morning, to take Thy name into our lips, 
and to record nothing but the experience 
of unmerited mercy ? From our earliest 
years we have been the recipients of Thy 
bounty. With all a Father’s tenderness 
Thou hast watched over us. We have 
received and we are still receiving of the 
LORD’S hand u double for all our sins.” 

Anew we draw near in the name of 
Him whom thou hearest always. u Nothing 
in our hands we bring”—we would cling 
44 simply to His cross.” Empty us of all 
self-righteousness;—let us feel our deep 
creature-destitution ;—let us stand alone 
in the finished righteousness of the All 


FRIDAY MORNING. 


109 


righteous One. We have forfeited all 
claim to Thy favor. We have turned 
aside like a deceitful bow—and if we had 
been left to our own treacherous hearts 
and wayward-wills, we must long ago have 
perished. 

We are miracles of mercy. We are a 
comment on Thine own word—“ Kept by 
the power of God.” We would trust 
Thy grace in the future. There is not a 
corruption we have within us which it is 
• unable to subdue; there is not a cross or 
trial, or care, but it will enable us to 
endure. In all our ways, we would 
acknowledge Thee—do Thou direct our 
paths. Whatever Thy leadings may be, 
let us cheerfully confide in their wisdom 
and faithfulness. Even in little things 
we are poor judges of what is good, but 
we can trust Thee in all things—what is 
great and what is small, what is dark and 
what is bright, what is joyous and what is 
grievous, we will rejoice that all is in thy 


110 


SECOND WEEK. 


hands, and all is for the best. May we 
ever regard sin as our greatest cross and 
trial—may no temptation assail us, or if it 
does, give us grace to resist it. May our 
conversation, our tempers, our affections, 
our desires, be moderated and regulated 
after the holy and pure example of our 
divine LOUD and Master. Give us the 
meekness of spirit which no provocation 
could ruffle, the forgiveness of injuries 
which was ever breathed forth amid aggra¬ 
vated ingratitude and cruel scorn. 

Bless all the sons and daughters of afflic¬ 
tion. LORD, let them view every dark 
and mysterious providence as an errand of 
love in disguise; a messenger sent forth 
from the Eternal Throne, to minister to 
them who are heirs of salvation. There is 
no bitter in the cup but of Thy sending™ 
no spark in the furnace but of Thy lighting. I 
May they listen to all as the whisperings 
of Thy love, and look forward to that time 
when the sound of their Master’s footsteps 


FRIDAY MORNING. 


Ill 


shall be heard, and His voice saying, 11 the 
days of your mourning are forever ended.’ ' 
May we all live as Pilgrims on the earth. 
Make us meet for the period when our 
earthly work and warfare shall cease, and 
when in unspotted sanctity we shall stand 
‘‘without fault before the Throne.” 

LORD, take the charge of each and all 
of us. May every one of our family have 
Thine own mark upon them. May the 
Angel of Thy presence be with us. 
Vouchsafe to keep us this day without sin. 
May all our doings be ordered by Thy 
governance, to do that which is well¬ 
pleasing in Thy sight, through JESUS 
CHRIST our LORD. Amen 

Our Father , &c. 

'The Grace of our Lord , &c. 


Irifcas winning* 


0 GOD, we again desire to draw near 
into Thy sacred presence, thanking Thee 
for the mercies of another day. There is 
one day’s journey less between us and 
death—may we be nearer Heaven and 
better prepared for it. 

Many souls this day have passed into 
eternity, their season of grace fled forever. 
We are still spared. The shadows ot 
another evening have gathered around us. 
The living—the. living—we shall praise 
Thee, as we do together this night. 

We bless Thee especially for the tokens 
of Thy mercy in JESUS. We bless Thee 
for His full, free, everlasting salvation. 

0 set us in the Cleft of the Rock.—Hide 
us there. Let us feel the blessed security 
of reposing in His covenant love. “All 


FRIDAY EVENING. 


113 


fulness ” is a blessed assurance to us—that 
for infinite want there is infinite sufficiency 
—that for infinite danger there is an in- 
9 finite salvation. 

LORD, give us grace to live worthy of 
our calling—to adorn the doctrine of our 
GOD and SAVIOUR. Let His love be 
the grand animating principle in all our 
actions. Let us live for His glory. Let 
our chief desire and delight be to serve 
Him—our greatest pain to vex and grieve 
Him. May Heaven be begun within us on 
earth. Make our affections more elevated 
—our eye more single—our lives more 
consistent—religion more the one thing 
needful. May we rest in the confident 
persuasion that GOD does all things well, 
and nothing but what is well. May we 
exercise a child-like acquiescence in present 
dealings. These may at times be mysteri¬ 
ous and chequered, but when we awake in 
glory—when Thy purposes of love shall be 
unfolded we shall dwell with adoring grati* 


114 


SECOND WEEK. 


tude od all the way by which Thou hast 
led us, and say, on the joyful retrospect. 
“ Righteous art Thou, 0 LORD.” Give us 
grace meanwhile to be living and acting as 
dying creatures. Let us never lay aside 
our pilgrim attire or forget our pilgrim 
character. Let us not be lingerers— 
dreaming away in guilty unconcern our 
fleeting moments. May we never turn a 
deaf ear to the monitory voice—“Work 
while it is called to-day.” 

Look in kindness on this household; 
may they all have the rich and enduring 
heritage of those that fear Thy name. 
[Bless the children, may they be taught 
of GOD.] Bless the servants, may they 
serve the LORD CHRIST. Bless all our 
absent friends. Be Thou ever present 
with them. If there be any still at a 
distance from Thee, LORD bring them 
nigh through the blood of the everlasting 
covenant. Let not one be found wanting 
at the great day. 


FRIDAY EVENING. 


115 


We pray for tlie Church universal. 0 
Thou Great High Priest, who art continu¬ 
ally feeding the golden candlesticks with 
the oil of Thy grace, may every lamp shine 
only in Thee and for Thee. May CHRIST 
be “the all in all” of every church as of 
every believer. Without Thee, any light 
that is in us is only darkness. Do Thou 
promote union among Thy true people 
Let them no longer live apart, and act 
apart, looking coldly and distantly on one 
another. Feeling that we are all one in 
CHRIST JESUS, may we love one another 
with a pure heart fervently; that thus the 
Church on earth may be a dim reflection 
of the glorious Church of Thy redeemed in 
Heaven, where the voice of discord is no 
more heard. And all that we ask is for 
JESUS sake. Amen, 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , d'C. 


SatttrJrag fUnung, 


0 GOD ALMIGHTY, we come anew 
tliis morning into Thy sacred presence. 
Glory be to Thy holy name, that we are 
again permitted to draw near to the 
Throne of the Heavenly grace, and to 
call Thee u our Father.” Our pillow last 
night might have been a pillow of death. 
We might righteously have found our¬ 
selves this morning exiled from Thy pres¬ 
ence, knowing Thee only “as the consum¬ 
ing fire.” But Thou hast lengthened out 
our day of grace. We are here among 
the living to praise Thee. It is of the 
LOUD’S mercies that we are not con¬ 
sumed. 

Anew we draw near to the opened 
fountain;—anew, Gracious Saviour, we 
plead Thy spotless merits. It was Thino 


SATURDAY MORNING. 


117 


owu sacred errand of love, that which 
brought Thee from Thy Throne in Heaven, 
to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim 
liberty to the captives, and the opening of 
the prison to them that are bound. Do 
Thou break our chains and usher us into 
the glorious liberty of Thy people. May 
we feel there is no real happiness indepen¬ 
dent of Thee—that all else are walking in 
a vain show—seeking rest but finding none. 
But Thou, blessed JESUS, art the strength 
of our hearts and our portion forever. 
Leaning on Thine arm—reposing in Thy 
faithfulness—we will joyfully exclaim “ this 
is our Beloved, and this is our Friend.” 

Keep us from the absorbing power of 
earthly things. Let us not be dead to 
Thee, and alive only to a dead and dying 
world. Let not the seen and the temporal 
eclipse the higher and nobler objects of 
faith. May we live under the powers of 
a world to come—loving Thee now with 
some feeble and imperfect foretaste of 


118 


SECOND WEEK. 


that love with which we shall love Thee 
forever. 

We rejoice to believe that we are en¬ 
tirely in Thy keeping. Give ns to feel 
that we would not wish one jot or tittle of 
Thy will altered—one ingredient less in 
our cup. If Thou sendest us prosperity, 
LORD, hallow it. If Thou sendest ad¬ 
versity, LORD, sanctify it. Let us rejoice 
in the thought that we are soon to suffer 
no more and to sin no more; soon no more 
to displease with our guilty wanderings, 
Him, who has remained faithful amid all 
earth’s faithlessness. 

We commend to Thy gracious providence 
all in whom we are interested. Take our 
dear friends under Thy peculiar care. 
Sanctify them by the indwelling of Thy 
HOLY SPIRIT—prosper them outwardly 
and inwardly. May all their duties and 
occupations be leavened with godliness. 
Bless our own immediate circle—may 
GOD be their Father, and JESUS theii 


SATURDAY MORNING. 


119 


elder brother, and Heaven their everlasting 
home. [Bless onr children—defend them 
from a present evil world. Let them early 
know the happiness of seeking and finding 
the one thing needful.] Bless the servants; 
may they fulfil the duties of their calling, 
not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but 
doing the will of GOD from the heart. 

May Thy kingdom come. Support and 
strengthen all devoted laborers in heathen 
lands. May Thy Spirit come down upon 
them as rain upon the mown grass—as 
showers that water the earth. Sanctify 
affliction to all in sorrow. Let Thy 
suffering people feel that often what 
seems Thy roughest voice is the tender 
whisperings of the gentlest love. May 
they recognize in Thy chastisements the 
dealings of covenant mercy, to purge 
away the dross, and refine and purify for 
glory. 

Direct, control, suggest this day, all our 
thoughts, purposes, designs and actions, 


120 


SECOND WEEK. 


that we may consecrate soul and body 
with all their powers to the glory of Thy 
holy name. And all that we ask or hope 
for, is for the Redeemer’s sake. Amen. 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord y &t. 


SaittrfcRj (fining* 


0 LORD, we desire to approach Thy 
Throne of Grace, adoring Thee as GOD over 
all, blessed for evermore. May we this night 
enter the inner chamber of Thy presence. 
Draw near to us as we draw near to Thee. 
We bless Thee that Thou hast spared us 
during another day, and another week. 
Let us end every day and every week as 
if these were possibly our last—as if the 
midnight cry might break upon our ears 
ere we see another rising sun, or a return- 
ing Sabbath. 

We come acknowledging that it is of the 
LORD’S mercies we are not consumed. 
We are nothing and we have nothing. * 
13y nature and by wicked works we could 
ex})ect nothing but indignation and wrath, 
tribulation and anguish. Every day is a 


122 


SECOND WEEK. 


living witness against ns. We confess oux 
proneness to depart from Thee the living 
GOD—our reluctance to render to Thee 
the tribute of our undivided homage and 
Jove. 

LORD, we bring our sins and lay them 
on JESUS. We bring our weakness to His 
Almighty strength: the insufficiency of the 
creature, to the u all-sufficiency in all things ” 
promised by the Great Creator. Give us 
to experience the blessedness of an unre¬ 
served, unwavering trust and confidence 
in an unchanging GOD. Let us hence¬ 
forth confide to Thee the allotment of all 
that befalls us. Let us no longer harbor 
suspicions of Thy faithfulness and love. 
Let us commit the unknown morrow to 
Thy better wisdom, saying “ Teach us the 
way wherein we should walk—we lift ou 
souls unto Thee.” We rejoice, blessed 
JESUS, to think of Thee, rejoicing over 
all our joy—keeping us as the apple of 
Thine eye, and feeling what is done tc 


SATURDAY EVENING. 


123 


Thy people as sensitively as if it were 
done to Thyself. Enable ns to repose in 
quiet assurance in the infinite and un¬ 
measured fulness of Thy grace and mercy, 
following Thee, not in plain and smooth 
places only, but in rough and rugged too; 
feeling that even though at times mysteri¬ 
ous—“the ways of the LORD are right 
and all his works are done in truth.” 

While we pray for ourselves we would 
remember before Thee all whom we ought 
to bear on our spirits at a Throne of Grace. 
Prosper Thy cause and kingdom in the 
world. Bring the wickedness of the 
wicked to an end. Bless the young, may 
they spring up as willows oy the water¬ 
courses—trees of righteousness, the plant¬ 
ing of the LORD. Bless the aged, may 
they be gathered to the garner of the 
Great Husbandman, as the shock of corn 
in its season, full of years and ripe for 
glory. 

Bless all Thy faithful ministers — es- 


124 


SECOND WEEK. 


pecially those who to-morrow are to deal 
out the bread of life;—strengthen them 
outwardly and inwardly; may their arms 
be made strong by the hands of the mighty 
GOD of Jacob: on the great reaping day 
of judgment, may they too appear with 
rejoicing, bringing their sheaves with 
them. Bless us as a family—master and 
servant, [parent and child.] Let us all own 
one common Master—one Father in Heav¬ 
en. Whether we wake or sleep, may we 
live together with Thee. There is no 
darkness to us if Thou art with us. De¬ 
fend us during the unconscious hours of 
slumber, that we may rise on Thy Holy 
Sabbath fitted for duty, happy in the as¬ 
sured continuance of Thy favor and love. 
And all we ask is for JESUS CHRIST’S 
sake, our only SAVIOUR., in whose most 
blessed name and words we would sum up 
all our petitions at a Throne of Grace— 
Baying, 

Our Father , &c. 


THIRD WEEK. 


SttnJraj Itxrrninrj* 

ALMIGHTY AND EVERLASTING 
GOD, we bless Thee for the return of 
another day of the Son of Man. We 
thank Thee that we have been spared 
during another week, while many of our 
fellow-men have been called to render in 
their account. Give us conscious filial 
nearness to Thee our Father in Heaven. 
Let us hear Thy gracious benediction—• 
“ Peace be unto you.” May Thine own 
day be begun, carried on, and ended with 
Thee. May all worldly thoughts, and cares, 
and disquietudes be laid aside, that we may 
enjoy a foretaste of the everlasting blessed¬ 
ness and joy which are at Thy right hand, 




126 


THIRD WEEK. 


We come, gracious LORD, relying on 
Thy free grace in JESUS. Self-re¬ 
nouncing, and sin-renouncing, we cast 
ourselves entirely upon Him. We would 
direct the undivided eye of faith to His 
finished work; rejoicing that it is as free 
as ever, and as efficacious as ever. Fill 
us with a deep and humbling sense of our 
guilt. May we mourn an erring past, and 
receive grace for an unknown future. We 
would seek this day to kindle afresh our 
dying love at Thy holy altar. Inspire us 
with resolutions of new obedience. May 
we no longer live unto ourselves—to the 
world—to the creature—to sin. May the 
great Creator and the precious Redeemer 
occupy, without a rival, His own throne 
within us. Let us cultivate a holy fear of 
offending Thee. May every fresh expe¬ 
rience of Thy love rebuke the lukewarm¬ 
ness of ours. Let us no longer wander in 
guilty estrangement from Thee, forfeiting 
Thy favor and our own true happinesa 


SUNDAY MORNING. 


127 


May we spend every day, and every 
Sabbath, as if it were to be our last—in 
preparation for the everlasting rest which 
awaits Thy people in glory, when we shall 
see Thy face, and Thy name shall be in our 
foreheads. 

We desire to remember in Thy presence 
all in whom we are interested. Bless all 
Thy people, this day, throughout the Chris¬ 
tian world; may multitudes be added to 
the Church, of such as shall be saved. 
Strengthen Thy ministering servants,—may 
they have singleness of eye, and singleness 
of aim. May self be hidden and GOD ex¬ 
alted. May many careless souls be arrest¬ 
ed ; may weak ones be strengthened; may 
sorrowing ones be comforted; may the 
weary and heavy-laden obtain rest. May 
a holy Sabbath-spirit follow us throughout 
the week. May we descend the mount 
with the halo of the sanctuary encircling 
our path—happy in the presence and favor 
of the GOD of the Sabbath! 


128 


THIRD WEEK. * 


We commend onr dear friends especially 
to Thy protection. May they, too, be in 
the Spirit on the LORD’S day; may they 
call and find the Sabbath a delight. Keep 
them, good LORD, by Thy mighty power. 
May they live soberly, and righteously, 
and godly, in the present evil world; 
looking for that blessed hope, even the 
glorious appearing of the great GOD our 
SAVIOUR. Bless the members of our 
family circle; keep them ever near to Thee. 
[May our children be the peculiar care of 
the great and good Shepherd. May they 
know early the safety and happiness of 
His fold; make them to lie down in His 
green pastures; lead them by the still 
waters. May they know that whether 
they come to die soon or late, they never 
will repent of fleeing, in the season of 
vouth to the arms of a SAVIOUR’S love 
and mercy.] 

Sanctify trial to the many sons and 
daughters of affliction. May they lie low 


SUNDAY MORNING. 


129 


in submission to Thy Sovereign appoint* 
ments, as they listen to the simple reason 
of their trials, “ Your Father knoweth that 
ye have need of these things.” Be it^ 
theirs to respond, “Even so, Father! for 
so it seems good in Thy sight.” 

Lord, take the charge of us; and when 
all Thy will concerning us on earth is com¬ 
pleted, take us to dwell with Thyself in 
glory everlasting, and all we ask is for tha 
Bedeemer’s sake. Amen , 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord, dta 

© 


S#n Jraa 05Jrcnin®. 

PRAISE waiteth for Thee, 0 GOD, in 
Zion, and unto Thee shall the vow be per- 
formed. 0 Thou that hearest prayer, 
unto Thee shall all flesh come. We re¬ 
joice that we have such a GOD to repair 
to. Thou never hast said unto any of the 
seed of Jacob, seek ye my face in vain. 
We grow faint and grow weary—but Thy 
ways are not as our ways. Thy thoughts 
to us are unchanging thoughts of love. It 
is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not 
consumed. 

We come anew on this the evening of 
Thy Holy day, acknowledging our great 
unworthiness. Fill us with a deep sense 
of our guilt. We have not the humbling 
consciousness we ought to have, of our 
exceeding vileness. We are apt to our* 


SUNDAY EVENING. 


131 


Reives, if not to Thee, to plead vain ex 
cuses for our sins. They have been com¬ 
mitted against the tenderest mercy—the 
most unwearied patience—the most won¬ 
drous love. 

Forgive us, 0 LORD, forgive us all, for 
Thy dear Son’s sake. Wash these crimson 
and scarlet stains away in the sin-cleansing 
fountain. Let us know more and more 
the preciousness of the faithful saying that 
“JESUS CHRIST came into the world to 
save sinners.” 

May we live at all times as Thy re¬ 
deemed children. As He that hath called 
us is holy, so may we be holy in all manner 
of conversation. Put Thy fear in our hearts 
—not the fear of torment, but the holy 
child-like fear of offending so kind a 
Father—so gracious and forgiving a Sav¬ 
iour. Blessed LORD, make these unworthy 
hearts of ours living temples—holy, in¬ 
cense-breathing altars of gratitude and 
love. May our lives be one continued 


132 


THIRD WEEK* 


thank-offering for Thine amazing mercies, 
As Thy blood-bought children, may we 
count it our highest privilege as well as 
our sacred duty, to walk so as to please 
Thee. May we be looking for that blessed 
hope, even the glorious appearing of the 
great GOD our SAVIOUR. Let us be 
ever in the attitude of waiting and expect¬ 
ant servants, seeking to “ occupy ” till 
our LORD comes. Keep us from inactiv¬ 
ity and sloth. Let our loins be girded 
and our lamps burning. Let us be grow¬ 
ing in faith and love — in charity and 
meekness—in diligence and faithfulness—• 
rejoicing in hope of the glory of GOD ! 

Father! glorify Thy name. Darkness 
is still covering the lands, and gross dark¬ 
ness the people; but may the LORD arise, 
and His glory be seen on the earth. May 
the time to favor Zion, yea, the set time, 
speedily come. Revive Thy work in the 
midst of the years;—in the midst of wrath 
do Thou remember mercy. 


SUNDAY EVENING. 


133 


We pray for all in affliction. 0 Thou 
who art the healer of the brokenhearted, 
he comforter of all that are cast down— 
do Thou impart to every sorrowing be¬ 
reaved spirit, Thine own everlasting conso¬ 
lations. Thou art seated by every furnace. 
May all come forth as gold tried in the 
fire, and so be found at last unto praise 
and honor and glory at the appearing of 
JESUS CHRIST. 

We commend our family and household 
to Thy care. GOD of Bethel, GOD of 
our Fathers, and better still, the GOD and 
Father of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, 
be Thou the covenant God of all near and 
dear to us. Whether they be now pres¬ 
ent or absent may they all be near and 
dear to Thee. Keeper of Israel, be Thou 
their Keeper, guide them, guard them, 
sanctify them, use them for Thy glory 
here, and bring them to the enjoyment of 
Thyself hereafter. 

Take us all under Thy Providence 


134 


THIRD WEEK. 


this night. Let us fall asleep under Thy 
blessed protection; may no unquiet dreams 
disturb our repose, and when the gates 
of the morning are again opened, may it 
be to hear Thy benediction and blessing— 
“ Fear not, for I am with thee.” And all 
that we ask is for the sake of Him whom 
Thou hearest always, and to whom, with 
Thee, the Father, and Thee, 0 blessed 
Spirit, one God, be everlasting praise, 
honor, and glory, world without end, 
Amen. 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , &c. 


ft Mint g SUnting. 


ALMIGHTY GOD, we desire on this 
the morning of a new day, to approach the 
footstool of Thy Throne of grace. Thou 
art glorious in Thy holiness, fearful in 
praises, continnally doing wonders. Thine 
eternity is a depth which no finite mind 
can fathom. Thy purposes no accident 
can alter—Thy love no time can impair. 
We adore Thee as the GOD of our life; 
moment by moment we are hanging upon 
Thy goodness; if Thou withdrawest Thy 
hand we perish. 

And yet, 0 LORD, we have not been 
living habitually mindful of Thee. We 
have too often taken our blessings as mat¬ 
ters of course. We have had unthankful 
spirits in the midst of daily recurring 
tokens of unmerited mercy. Above all, 


136 


THIRD WEEK. 


we have been living in guilty forgetfulness 
of Thy dear Son. We have not been re¬ 
membering as we ought, that but for Hin 
and His wondrous grace we must have 
perished everlastingly. We have not felt 
as we ought the attractive power of His 
cross. Other lords have had dominion 
over us. The love which ought to have 
reigned paramount has been displaced and 
superseded by other affections. We have 
been “minding earthly things;” we have 
been deifying earthly pleasures and earthly 
passions; careful, and troubled, and con¬ 
cerned, about what will perish with the 
very using! 

LORD, have mercy upon us! Bring us 
to a better mind. Melt these hard and 
obdurate hearts. Renew us by the in¬ 
dwelling of Thy gracious Spirit. Give us 
henceforth a holy ambition to serve Thee. 
May we regard life as a mission to please 
GOD—a state of brief probation, to exhibit 
here the living evidences of that spiritual 


MONDAY MORNING. 


137 


life begun, which will issue in the glorious 
consummations of eternity. All our hope 
is in JESUS. There is no other prop that 
can support a sinking soul and a sinking 
world. Help us, blessed SAVIOUR, else 
we die! Give us to see the adaptation of 
Thy character and work, to all the wants 
and weaknesses—the trials and difficulties— 
the sorrows and sins of our fallen and suffer¬ 
ing natures. We are overwhelmed at the 
recollection of bygone transgressions, but 
there is infinite merit in Thee to meet all 
the magnitude of infinite guilt. May we 
exhibit more willingness to be nothing and 
to do nothing that He who has done all, 
may be enthroned alone in our hearts’ 
affections. Make us more heavenly-minded 
—more pilgrim-like—more S AVIOUR-like. 
Our graces are feeble—LORD sustain them. 
Our affections are lukewarm, LORD revive 
them. Our lamps are going out—LORD 
trim them. Search us—try us—lead us; 
use what discipline Thou seest best. May 


138 


THIRD WEEK. 


it all result in our growing sanctification— 
in endearing to us Thy favor, and bringing 
us to live under a more constant and real¬ 
izing sense of the things which cannot be 
shaken but remain. 

We commend to Thee all near and dear 
to us. May they be shielded by Thy provi¬ 
dence, and sanctified by Thy grace. Let 
them repose in the plenitude of Thy prom¬ 
ises, and feel that to be spiritually-minded 
is “life and peace.” Bless our own family 
—preserve us by Thy mighty power. 
[Bless our children. May theirs be the 
heritage of those that fear Thy name.] 
May we all feel that it is Thou, LORD, 
only, who makest us to dwell in safety. 

We put ourselves at thy disposal. May 
the everlasting arms ever be around us for 
good; —guiding through life — through 
death—till we are safe in glory—through 
JESUS CHRIST, our only SAVIOUR. 
Amen. 


SUitlrag Winning. 


0 LOKD, our Heavenly Father, by 
whole good providence we are spared 
from day to day,—enable ns to come this 
night into Thy sacred presence, with 
hearts filled with gratitude and thankful¬ 
ness for all Thy great mercies, and deeply 
humbled on account of our own great un¬ 
worthiness. What are we that we should 
be permitted to take Thy name into our 
sinful and polluted lips? We have sinned, 
what shall we say unto Thee, 0 Thou pre¬ 
server of men? We have been pursuing 
after lying vanities. We have been re¬ 
bellious, and wayward, and selfish, and 
unthankful. We have been living in the 
enjoyment of countless mercies, without 
any acknowledgment of Thy giving hand. 
Kindness has been abused, grace has been 


140 


THIRD WEEK. 


resisted, tlie LORD Las been disowned. 
Our hearts have become altars to the un¬ 
known GOD. We have been worshipping 
and serving the creature more than the 
Creator, who is GOD over all, blessed for 
evermore. 

Adorable REDEEMER, we flee anew 
under the covert of Thy wings—we take 
refuge anew in the clefts of the Smitten 
Rock;—hide us there from that wrath and 
everlasting condemnation, which these 
legion-sins of ours have justly merited. 

Oh what encouragement we have to 
trust Thy atoning grace and love. What 
a SAYIOUR-GOD art Thou!—the fee¬ 
blest of the flock—tended, guided, guarded 
by Thee. We can fear no evil when 
Thou art with us. The roughest part of 
the wilderness will become smooth if the 
Shepherd be at our side. We rejoice to 
think that Thou art choosing our pasture 
for us. All is meted out—arranged—pro¬ 
vided for. The thread of life is in Thy 


MONDAY EVENING. 


141 


hands. All that concerns ns and ours is at 
Thy disposal. Infinite wisdom and love 
are pledged to see to it, that all is the best 
and for the best. Give us lowliness and 
gentleness of heart. May self be crucified 
and JESUS exalted—may we be moulded 
after His blessed image—may existence 
become one life-long consecration to His 
service—may we feel that to be holy is to be 
happy—that to be with GOD is the loftiest 
joy of which our natures are susceptible. 
To be with GOD, and like GOD, is the hap¬ 
piness of angels—may it be ours in part 
here, and in full fruition hereafter. 

Whatever be the discipline Thou em- 
ployest to fit us for this, may we meekly 
submit to it. May we watch all Thy 
varied teachings and get profit and sancti¬ 
fication out of all—all bringing us nearer 
Heaven and nearer Thee. 

Bless this household—unite us as a 
family in the bonds of holy love. May 
the blood of the everlasting covenant be 


Idtsbas Darning. 


0 LORD, we desire to draw near into 
Thy blessed presence on this the begin- 
ing of a new day.—Do Thou accept of our 
morning sacrifice. Enkindle our dead and 
lifeless souls with a living coal from the 
inner sanctuary. Throughout the day 
may our minds be stayed on Thee. May 
a sense of Thy favor and love be inter¬ 
mingled with all its duties, hallowing all 
its pleasures and softening all its trials. 
LORD, we have received our being from 
Thy hands—may the lives imparted by Thee 
and sustained by Thee, be consecrated tc 
Thy praise. May we feel the happiness 
»f holy living, and regard nothing this 
world can give as comparable for a mo¬ 
ment to the enjoyment of Thy friendship 
and love, 


TUESDAY MORNING. 


145 


We bless Thee, above all, foi the pur¬ 
chased blessings of the everlasting cove¬ 
nant. Blessed SAVIOUR—Thou great 
Burden-bearer—Shepherd—Guide—Friend 
—Brother—Portion of Thy people, nothing 
can give us peace but Thy peace. For 
every hour, for every moment, for every 
time of need, for every diversity of situa¬ 
tion Thou art. Undertake Thou for us. 
May we have no trust in anything but in 
Thy matchless work. May simple faith be 
followed by holy obedience and habitual 
walking. May we know the blessed habit 
of a holy life ; of affections once alienated 
from GOD, now alienated from the world. 
May no spiritual foe be permitted to 
quench the smoking flax. May we have 
strength given us either to perform or 
endure Thy will. In all things may we 
seek to glorify Thy holy name. May ex¬ 
istence become one grand act of devote*** 
ness to Thee. May we cleave unto the 
LORD with full purpose of heart May 


futsiKS 


0 LORD our GOD, we bless Thee that 
we are again permitted in the multitude 
of Thy mercies to see the close of another 
day.—We would close it with Thee. Ere 
we retire to rest, we would supplicate the 
guardian care of Israel’s unslumbering 
Shepherd. Make not our pillow this night 
the pillow of death. Give Thine angels 
charge over us during the unconscious 
hours of sleep, and when we awake, may 
we be still with Thee. 

We adore Thee, blessed GOD, as the 
source of all our happiness—the Author of 
all our blessings; forbid that we should 
ever seek for happiness in meaner joys—• 
that we should suffer any created good to 
displace Thyself from the supreme place in 
our affections. We desire to take Thee as 



TUESDAY EVENING. 


14$ 

our chief joy—to subordinate to Thee, all 
else beside. Do Thou undertake for us. 
Guide us by Thy counsel. We cast our 
every care upon Thee; Thou carest for 
us; Thou caredst for us before we cared 
for ourselves; our lives are one continuous 
history of undeserved watchfulness in the 
past. And we will trust Thee in the fu¬ 
ture. In all our ways we would acknowl¬ 
edge Thee, do Thou direct our paths. Let 
our one animating wish and longing be— 
to be nearer Thee now, and with Thee for¬ 
ever in Heaven. May every returning 
night as it finds us nearer the morning of 
glory find us better prepared for it. 

We desire this night to lie down in 
peace and sleep, with our eye on the 
opened fountain. Wash out all the defile- 
aments of the day; all the sins of omission 
and commission, LORD, pardon them. Ac¬ 
cept of us in the Beloved. We stand now, 
as we desire to stand on a judgment day, 
robed in Thy Son’s righteousness. He ia 


146 


THIRD WEEK. 


no idol usurp Thy place in our souls. Ma} 
we worship Thee only, Thee wholly, Thee 
forever. 

We pray for a dark world. Visit, in 
mercy, the habitations of horrid cruelty. 
Strengthen Thy Missionary servants. 
Arouse Thy churches to greater zeal in 
the promotion of Thy cause. We would 
pray the LORD of the harvest that He 
would send forth laborers to His harvest. 

GOD of our fathers, be our covenant 
GOD; dwell in this family—hallow every 
heart in it as an altar to Thy praise. Im¬ 
press upon us all a family resemblance to 
the Great elder Brother, our living Head in 
glory. [Pour Thy grace into the young.] 
Each of us is advancing in life’s journey, 
may we seek to be becoming more and 
more meet for our everlasting home. Pre¬ 
pare us for the unutterable blessedness of 
close and uninterrupted fellowship with 
Thyself. 

Have compassion on all who are afflicted. 


TUESDAY MORNING. 


147 


Pity ttie houseless poor, the orphaned 
children, the widowed heart. 0 Thou, 
who turnest the shadow of death into the 
morning—do Thou console and bind up 
every such bleeding bosom. May they re¬ 
joice that Thou, the Great Refiner, know- 
est all that is needed by Thy people. May 
they adore Thee alike in the dispensing of 
Thy gifts, and in revoking the grant, feeh 
ing that their “times are in Thy hand.” 

We commit ourselves to Thy care. May 
the LORD GOD this day be to us a sun 
and shield. May the LORD give grace 
and glory, and withhold from us nothing 
that He sees to be truly good. And all 
that we ask is for JESUS’ sake. Amen. 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , &c. 


fnts&sg 


0 LORD our GOD, we bless Thee that 
we are again permitted in the multitude 
of Thy mercies to see the close of another 
day.—We would close it with Thee. Ere 
we retire to rest, we would supplicate the 
guardian care of Israel’s unslumbering 
Shepherd. Make not our pillow this night 
the pillow of death. Give Thine angels 
charge over us during the unconscious 
hours of sleep, and when we awake, may 
we be still with Thee. 

We adore Thee, blessed GOD, as the 
source of all our happiness—the Author of 
all our blessings; forbid that we should 
ever seek for happiness in meaner joys— 
that we should suffer any created good to 
displace Thyself from the supreme place in 
our affections. We desire to take Thee as 


TUESDAY EVENING. 


149 


our chief joy—to subordinate to Thee, all 
else beside. Do Thou undertake for us. 
Guide us by Thy counsel. We cast our 
every care upon Thee; Thou carest for 
us; Thou caredst for us before we cared 
for ourselves; our lives are one continuous 
history of undeserved watchfulness in the 
past. And we will trust Thee in the fu¬ 
ture. In all our ways we would acknowl¬ 
edge Thee, do Thou direct our paths. Let 
our one animating wish and longing be— 
to be nearer Thee now, and with Thee for¬ 
ever in Heaven. May every returning 
night as it finds us nearer the morning of 
glory find us better prepared for it. 

We desire this night to lie down in 
peace and sleep, with our eye on the 
opened fountain. Wash out all the defile- 
aments of the day; all the sins of omission 
and commission, LORD, pardon them. Ac¬ 
cept of us in the Beloved. We stand now, 
as we desire to stand on a judgment day, 
robed in Thy Son’s righteousness. He ia 


150 


THIRD WEEK. 


able to save. He is willing to save, He is 
waiting to save. We have no other refuge 
but Him, no other friend like Him. We 
merge all our concerns into His hands. 

We commend, HOLY FATHER, to Thy 
gracious care and providence our family 
and household. May each be a member 
of the household of faith. Do Thou, if it 
be Thy will, long continue unbroken our 
home-circle on earth, but let our true home 
be above. Let the watchword of each near 
and dear to us be this— u we are journey¬ 
ing unto the place of which the LORD 
hath said, I will give it you.” [Bless the 
young; train them early for glory. Pre¬ 
serve them from the countless temptations 
of a world lying in wickedness.] We pray 
for the afflicted ; we commend them to Him 
who knows their frame; who did Himself 
pass through all the wilderness discipline, 
and who having suffered, being tempted, 
is able to succor them that are tempted. 

Let Thy kingdom come. Stand by Thy 


TUESDAY EVENING. 


151 


Missionary servants ; may they have many 
heathen souls for their hire—many who 
shall be to them as a crown of joy and re¬ 
joicing, on the Great day. 

LORD, we commend us to Thee;— 
known unto Thee are all our wants; we 
leave our petitions at the footstool of Thy 
Throne, knowing that in Thee we have a 
rich Provider ; and when the provisions of 
the earthly journey are needed no more, 
may it be ours to feed on the better bread 
which endureth to everlasting life. And 
all that we ask is in the name and for the 
sake of Him whom Thou hearest always, 
and to whom with Thee the Father, and 
Thee, 0 ETERNAL SPIRIT, one GOD, be 
ascribed all blessing and honor, and glory 
and praise, world without end. Amen . 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , &c. 


Miiniuftitg Horning. 

0 ETERNAL ever blessed Trinity- 
Three Persons—One GOD—have mercy 
upon us. Blessed Father, who didst not 
spare the Son of Thy love, but didst freely 
give Him up, a ransom for the guilty—• 
Blessed JESUS, Thou sin-bearing and sin- 
forgiving SAVIOUR, who didst so freely 
consecrate Thy very life’s-blood for us—« 
Blessed Spirit of all grace, who art wait¬ 
ing and willing to renew and sanctify and 
heal—yea, to make these worthless souls 
of ours, temples to Thy praise—Do Thou 
come to us in all the plenitude of Thy love 
this morning, that we may feel it to be 
good for us to draw near unto GOD. 

What are our lives but crowded histories 
of covenant faithfulness,—wondrous attes¬ 
tations to the love and forbearance and 


WEDNESDAY MORNING. 


153 


patience of GOD. We have received at 
His hands double for all our sins. 

Where could we now have been, blessed 
? LORD, but for Thy great love to us in 
* CHRIST JESUS? On Him our every 
hope of mercy is built. On His work we 
desire every hour to live. We rejoice that 
we have such a Day’s-Man, who has laid 
His hand upon us both; that He is now 
pleading for us within the veil—answering 
for those who cannot answer for them- 
selves. Give us a tender conscience, a 
broken spirit, filial nearners, holiness of 
heart, consistency of conduct, uprightness 
of life. May sin be increasingly hated—« 
may holiness be unceasingly coveted and 
loved. Loving Thee our GOD, may we 
love also our fellow-men. Bring us under 
the power of renewed natures and purified 
affections. May all that is earthly and car* 
nal, all that is unamiable and selfish, all 
that is unkind and unholy, be displaced by 
what is pure, elevated, lovely, and of good 


154 


THIRD WEEK. 


report. Above all, may we be brought to 
live more sensibly under the influence of 
unseen realities. May we be more of way¬ 
farers than we have been, with our face 
more Zionwards, feeling that our true home 
is above. May CHRIST become increas¬ 
ingly precious. Stablish our hearts with 
the blessed truth, that the coming of the 
LORD draweth nigh, that so when the 
hour of death shall overtake us, it may be 
to us as an angel whispering “ The Master 
is come and calleth for Thee.” 

Compassionate all who are in affliction; 
may Thy sorrowing people be enabled to 
trust Thee in the dark. Let them look 
forward to that joyous period when they 
shall come to stand in Thy presence, and 
trace for themselves in the map of time all 
the wisdom of Thy now inscrutable deal 
ings. Have pity on the careless—reclain 
the backslider—arouse the lukewarm— 
bring back all wanderers who may have 
strayed from the fold. May they feel the 


WEDNESDAY MORNING. 


155 


sorest of all losses, to be the loss of their 
GOD—that nothing can compensate for 
the forfeiture of Thy favor. 

Bless us as a family;—give us the heri¬ 
tage of those that fear Thy name; may the 
absent know Thee as ever present—and 
when earth’s separations are at an end, 
nay there be a common meeting place for 
as all, at last, before Thy Throne. 

Be our GOD and guide this day, protect 
our bodies from danger, preserve our souls 
from sin; never leave and never forsake 
us. May we all be found unto praise, and 
honor and glory, at the appearing of 
JESUS CHRIST. And all that we ask k 
for His sake. Amen . 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , &c. 


MtHnusias ifttninj. 

MOST BLESSED GOD, we desire to 
come into Thy sacred presence on this the 
close of another day. Let our prayer come 
before Thee as incense, and the lifting up 
of our hands as the evening sacrifice. En¬ 
able us to have a realizing view of Thy 
glory and Divine Majesty. Praise be to 
Thy holy name, that though the infinitude 
of Heaven be Thy dwelling-place, Thou 
condescendest to make every lowly heart 
of Thy people Thy habitation. Though 
Thou art the greatest of all Beings, Thou 
art the kindest of all, and the best of 
all. 

We come weak and helpless and bur* 
dened to that cross where alone there is 
shelter and peace for the guilty. We will 
not cloak nor dissemble our manifold sina 


WEDNESDAY EVENING. 


157 


and wickedness before the face of Almighty 
God, our Heavenly Father, but we would 
confess them with an humble, lowly, peni- 
tent and obedient heart. It is our comfort 
to know that we have a sure refuge to 
which we can at all times repair. 

Blessed JESUS, there is in Thee all that 
is required to meet our wants and difficul¬ 
ties, our perplexities and sins. We rejoice 
to think of Thee as Thou now art, the un¬ 
changing, unaltered, and unalterable Elder 
Brother. Thou hast all the might of infi¬ 
nite Godhead—Thou hast all the tender¬ 
ness and pity of compassionate man. May 
it be ours to love and serve Thee now, 
that we may not be ashamed before Thee 
at Thy coming. May Thy love exercise a 
paramount influence over us. Let us show 
that we are Christians—living Epistles 
known and read of all men. Let us be 
gentle, kind, and forgiving. Let us not 
be betrayed into anger or uncharitableness. 
Let there be no hard construction of Thy 


158 


THIRD WEEK. 


dealings—no mnrmurings under Thy rod, 
Let patience have its perfect work; willing 
to do all and to bear all for the sake of Him 
who hath done and borne so much for ns. 
Let us be duty-doing Christians—active in 
Thy service, feeling that all have a work 
to do, and that we have but a brief time to 
do it. Give us a solemn sense of responsi¬ 
bility for every talent committed to our 
trust. Let us feel that they are not given 
merely to be enjoyed by us, but to be em¬ 
ployed for Thee. Alive to our stewardship, 
may we lay them out for Thy glory and 
for our own and our neighbor’s good, that 
when Thou comest Thou mayest receive 
Thine own with usury. 

Bless all our beloved friends; remember 
them with that favor which Thou bearest 
to Thine own;—wherever they are, may 
they never set up their altar to an un¬ 
known GOB—may they know the true 
blessedness of life when spent in thy 
service. We pray for all poor afflicted 


WEDNESDAY EVENING. 


159 


ones. Ease their burdens—soothe theii 
sorrows—dry their tears—enable them 
meekly to repose in Thy covenant faithful¬ 
ness and love. 

IIow often dost Thou send tempest and 
storm to lighten the ship, and conduct it 
in safety to its desired haven. Let us be 
afraid of no wind and no storm which 
brings us nearer Thyself. 

And now LORD, what wait we for, our 
hope is in Thee. Most graciously answer 
us, not according to our own wishes, (often 
erring, often sinful,) but according as Thou 
seest it would be well for us, and no more. 
We are poor and needy, yet the LORD 
thinketh upon us. Make no tarrying, 0 
our GOD. 

Guard us through the night—defend us 
by Thy mighty power. Whether we -wake 
or sleep may we be Thine. And all we 
ask is for JESUS’ sake. Amen. 


ALMIGHTY FATHER. Thou art from 
everlasting to everlasting, GOD. Thou art 
the Being of all Beings—Light of light— 
enshrined amid the glories and mysteries 
of eternity. Thou art the Author of our 
existence—the source and centre of all our 
happiness. We desire to connect all our 
blessings with Thee, to trace every stream 
up to Thyself, the great fountain-head. Thou 
alone hast an ear to hear us, and a heart to 
feel for us. Thou alone amid all other 
changes art the unchanging One—Heaven 
and earth shall pass away, but Thou art the 
same, and Thy years shall have no end. 

We come poor, needy, empty-handed, to 
Thee, who hast promised us an “ all suffi¬ 
ciency in all things.” We have nothing 
to present—we have everything to get. 


THURSDAY MORNING. 


161 


Thou art Giver, Keeper, Sustainer; there 
is nothing between us and everlasting de¬ 
struction but Thy grace in JESUS. Worms 
of the dust, we look to the arm of the 
mighty GOD of Jacob. We would drink 
of the streams of abundant grace which 
flow from the Smitten-Dock. These have 
been flowing for ages past, and yet still the 
warrant and welcome are free as ever.— 
“Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to 
the waters.” 

Blessed Physician of souls, who healeth 
all our diseases, do Thou say unto each of 
us “Thy sins are forgiven thee.” Bring 
us to live more and more every day under 
the constraining influence of Thy love. 
Being made free from sin, and having 
become the servants of GOD, may we 
have our fruit unto holiness; may we be 
continually gaining fresh victories over 
our secret corruptions—the power of evil 
waxing weaker and weaker; and the power 
of Thy grace waxing stronger and stronger. 


162 


THIRD WEEK. 


- 


It is sin which blinds onr eyes, clouds oui 
faith, and hampers our energies. Dispel, 
0 GOD, this dark chaos, by the might of 
J Thine indwelling Spirit. Do Thou give 
the summons “Let there be light,” that an 
inner sunshine may be diffused over our 
souls, and that we* may know by joyful 
experience, the happiness of true holi¬ 
ness. 

Give us a spirit of reverential and child¬ 
like submission to Thy will. We do rejoice 
to know that while the lot is thrown into 
the lap, the ivJiole disposing thereof is of 
the LORD; finite wisdom has no place in 
Thy dealings; not only are all things 
ordained by Thee, but ordained in ineffa¬ 
ble wisdom and in unchanging love. May 
the end of all Thy dispensations be our 
growing sanctification. Mercifully accom- 
modate, the supplies of Thy grace to all 
the sons and daughters of sorrow; may 
they call upon Thee in the day of trouble, 
and do Thou deliver them; though it may 


THURSDAY HORNING. 


163 


not be the deliverance they would have 
desired, may it lead them to u glorify Thee.” 

Look in kindness on our family circle; 
may Thy name be ever hallowed here; 
may we know the happiness of that house¬ 
hold whose GOD is the LORD. Bless our 
beloved friends who may be absent from 
us. If separated from one another now, 
may we meet at last in the better country, 
and together enter the joy of our common 
LORD. Be thou with us throughout this 
day. May Thy peace be upon us and upon 
all the Israel of GOD. Guide us by Thy 
counsel, strengthen us for duty, and prepare 
us for trial. And all we ask is for the Re* 
deemer’s sake. Amen. 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , 


fljuusirag 


0 GOD, Thou art great and greatly tc 
be feared, Thy greatness is unsearchable; 
Heaven is Thy throne,—the earth is Thy 
footstool. Before Thee cherubim and 
seraphim continually do cry—Holy, holy, 
holy, is the LORD GOD of Hosts, Heaven 
and earth are full of the majesty of Thy 
glory. Thou art the sovereign director 
and controller of the wheels of Providence. 
The Lord reigneth. Man proposeth, but 
GOD disposeth; and He disposeth wisely 
and well. 

We do bless Thee that we, lost, hell¬ 
deserving sinners, are permitted to como 
with all the load of our great guilt to a 
Great SAVIOUR. We will arise and ga 
to our Father, and we will say “Father, 
we have sinned against Heaven and in 


THURSDAY EVENING. 


165 


Thy sight, we are no more worthy to be 
called Thy children!” But do Thou for 
T esus’ sake, Thine own dear Son, have 
mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Be¬ 
hold! 0 GOD, our shield: look upon us 
in the face of Thine anointed. Wash us in 
His blood; clothe us with His righteous¬ 
ness: sanctify us in body, soul and spirit, 
that we may be presented at last faultless 
before the presence of Thy glory with ex¬ 
ceeding joy. 

May the life of Jesus be made manifest 
in our mortal flesh; may the world take 
knowledge of us that we have been with Him. 
May our citizenship be more in Heaven; 
may we bear upon us the lofty impress of 
those who are born from above for above, 
—and who declare plainly that they seek 
a better country. May we be like CHRIST 
now, remembering that we are soon to be 
with Him, and that forever. 

Whatever be the sphere in which Thy 
good providence has placed us, may it be 


166 


THIRD WEEK. 


our earnest endeavor to use our time, and 
talents, and opportunities, for Thee. Our 
probation time must soon be finished: may 
we work while it is called to day,—the 
night cometh! 

Look in kindness on Thy church uni¬ 
versal. Revive Thy work in the midst of 
the years. Return, 0 LORD, and visit 
this vineyard which Thine own right hand 
hath planted: may every branch be laden 
with fruit; found unto praise, and honor, 
and glory, at the appearing of the LORD 
JESUS. 

Compassionate the afflicted: comfort all 
that mourn. Be the helper of the help 
less,—the refuge of the distressed,—the 
father of the fatherless. May all mourning 
the loss of beloved friends be led to bow 
submissively to Thy sovereign will, and 
look forward with joyful hearts to that 
better time and that better world, when 
the very fountain of these tears shall be 
forever dried. 


THURSDAY EVENING. 


167 


Bless each one of ns now bending at Thy 
footstool. [May our children have Thy 
grace early poured into their hearts. Spare 
their valued lives ; may they be defended 
from the snares of a world lying in wicked¬ 
ness. Give them to know that if they seek 
Thee early Thou wilt be found of them, but 
if they forsake Thee Thou wilt cast them 
off forever.] Give us all the heritage of 
Thy grace and love, and then we shall be 
rich indeed. Many are saying “ who will 
show us any good?” May we have but 
one wish, “ LORD, lift Thou upon us and 
ours, the light of Thy countenance.” Be 
with us this night. It is Thou, Lord, 
only, who makest us to dwell in safety. 
When we lie down to rest, let the curtain 
of Thy protecting Providence be drawn 
around us, and when we awake may we be 
still with Thee; and all that we ask is in 
the name, and for the sake of the LORD 
JESUS. Amen. 


Iriirag Stantinjj. 

0 GOD, our Heavenly Father, we 
desire on this the morning of a new day, 
to encompass the footstool of Thy Throne 
of Grace. We thank Thee for the 
guardianship and care vouchsafed during 
the unconscious hours of sleep. Thou 
hast dispersed the darkness of another 
night, and permitted the natural sun once 
more to arise upon us. 0 Thou better 
Sun of righteousness, do Thou disperse 
the deeper darkness of sin; shine on us 
with the brightness of thy rising; let us 
enjoy this day the blessedness of peace with 
GOD. 

LORD JESUS, we commit our temporal 
and eternal interests anew to Thy keep¬ 
ing. Soul and body are Thine by Thy 
redemption-purchase May this be their 


FRIDAY MORNING. 


169 


superscription “ holiness to the LORD.” 
May nothing that is unclean or that defileth 
enter therein, May it be our sovereign 
motive to walk so as to please Thee. May 
this be our sorest cross and trial to incur 
Thy displeasure. May we seek to diffuse 
around us the silent, noiseless influence 
of a heavenly life. Let us seek wholly to 
follow Thee. Let us not be content with 
a name to live. May existence be one con¬ 
tinuous effort to do Thy will and promote 
Thy glory. 

Oh forbid that any of us should rest 
satisfied with being half-way to safety—• 
lingering on the borders; may we live up 
to our privileges; may we have grace to 
follow the holy example and to reflect 
the blessed image of Thee, our adorable 
LORD and Master. May we deal ten¬ 
derly with others, remembering the ten¬ 
derness of Him who would not break the 
bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax, 
and whose dying words were forgiving 


170 


THIRD WEEK. 


ones. In the performance of every-day 
duty, let ns seek to make this the directory 
of our conduct—“How would JESUS have 
acted here ?” May we put on as the elect 
of GOD, holy and beloved, bowels of mer¬ 
cies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meek¬ 
ness, long-suffering, forbearing one another, 
and forgiving one another, if any have a 
quarrel against any, even as CHRIST hath 
forgiven us, so may we do also. 

We pray for all in sorrow. 0 Thou 
GOD of all consolation, be a Father to the 
fatherless, a Husband to the widow, the 
stranger’s shield, and the orphan’s stay. 
Enable Thy suffering people to rest in Thy 
love—saying, the LORD’S will be done. 

Bless our beloved Friends; if there be 
any among them who are still strangers 
to Thee, LORD convert them; reveal to 
them Thy dear Son in all His ability to 
save. Preserve us as a household from 
all danger and sin; hide us in the hollow 
of Thy hand; and may death, when it 


FRIDAY MORNING. 


171 


comes, be to all of us the entrance to 
glory. May Thy church universal live in 
the unity of the Spirit, and in the bond of 
peace. Revive Thy work in the midst of 
the years; may the day soon arrive when 
all ends of the earth shall see the salvation 
of GOD. 

Listen, gracious Father, to these our 
supplications, when Thou hearest forgive, 
und grant us an answer in peace, for the 
Redeemer’s sake. Amen. 

Our Father , &c. 

The Gh'ace of our Lord , 


fnfcag Winning* 


GRACIOUS FATHER! we approach 
the footstool of Thy throne this night* 
adoring Thee as the GOD of our life and 
the length of our days. We bless Thee 
for the many tokens of Thy love daily 
bestowed upon us: for food and raiment— 
for health and strength—for friends and 
home—for all that brightens our pathway 
in life—for all that cheers and irradiates 
our prospects beyond the grave. LORD, 
how often hast Thou disappointed our 
fears, answered our prayers, and fulfilled 
our hopes; how often has Thy grace and 
mercy made arduous duties easy, and 
levelled mountains of difficulty. How 
often when sin caused our hearts to be 
overwhelmed, hast Thou led us to the 
Rock that is higher than we. How often 


FRIDAY EVENING. 


173 


m seasons of sorrow hast Thou conducted 
us to that same blessed shelter, and spoken 
comfortably to us. 

We come anew to Thee this night, 
weary and heavy-laden, beseeching Thee 
to give us rest; we lament that we do not 
feel as we ought to do the burden of sin. 
Bring us in poverty of soul,—in self-deny¬ 
ing, self-renouncing lowliness—to cry out 
“God be merciful to us sinners.” Show 
us the infinite adaptation of the Bedeemer 
in His person and work to meet all the 
necessities of our tried and tempted 
natures. May His name be as ointment 
poured forth; may his blood be our only 
plea—His love our animating principle— 
His glory our chiefest end. 

May our souls become holy altars from 
which the incense of obedience and love 
is ascending continually. May we become 
patterns of all that is pure, and unselfish, 
and virtuous, and good. May we be en¬ 
abled to do Thy will and love Thy will be< 


174 


THIRD WEEK. 


cause it is Thine. May we enabled—not 
only to pull out the beam, but to pluck out 
the mote that would dim our spiritual vis- 
J ion: may our eye be single that our whole 
body may be full of light. May we be en¬ 
abled with unfaltering devotedness to say 
“ This one thing we do.” 

Accomplish the number of Thine elect, 
and hasten the coming of Thy Son’s king- 
dom. Keep Thy churches faithful: may 
they earnestly contend for the faith,—hold¬ 
ing fast that which they have, that no man 
take their crown. 

Sanctify affliction for all Thine afflicted 
people: thy chastisements are mercies in 
disguise:—all are tempered with love. 
Thou wilt not let loose the piercing wind 
on Thy shorn lambs—Thou watchest every 
sheep in the fold; and when they are led 
out to the rougher parts of the wilderness, 
Thou u goest before them.” 

We pray for those who are living with¬ 
out GOD, and therefore without hope. 


FRIDAY EVENING. 


175 


Let tliem not put off until they come to 
mourn with unavailing tears over-wasted 
hours and forfeited opportunities. Con¬ 
vince every procrastinator how sad it is to 
be standing on the brink of eternity with 
that eternity unprovided for. 

Bless us, even us, 0 GOD, who are now 
bending at Thy mercy-seat; rebuke our 
faithlessness—warm our love—quicken our 
graces—let us live more constantly under 
the powers of a world to come. Ere we 
lay our heads on our nightly pillows, we 
would lay our sins afresh on the head of 
the Surety, that we may retire to rest at 
peace with GOD, ready, if need be, to 
wake up in glory. And all that we ask is 
for the Redeemer’s sake. Amen. 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord, &c. 


0 x\\ x n g. 


MOST BLESSED GOD, who art mat 
ing the outgoings of the evening and the 
morning to rejoice over us—we desire to 
begin this day with Thee. We bless Thee 
for Thy sparing mercy, in having permit¬ 
ted us once more to lie down to sleep, and 
to awake in safety and comfort; may we 
be enabled as dependants on Thy bounty 
to receive every returning morning as a 
new pledge of Thy love. 

We confess, 0 GOD, our unworthiness. 
The utter sinfulness and alienation of our 
hearts from Thyself, the source of all life, 
and joy, and blessedness. To original sin 
we have added multiplied daily transgress¬ 
ions. The retrospect of life is a retrospect 
of guilt. Our iniquities testify against us. 
But we bless Thee that where sin abound* 


SATURDAY MORNING. 


177 


ed, grace hath much more abounded. 
Thanks be unto GOD for His unspeakable 
gift; for all, that JESUS died to purchase, 
and which he is now exalted to bestow. 

0 Thou Eternal Lamb of GOD—Thou 
spotless, sinless victim—we come to Thee 
this morning to lay our guilty hands and 
our guilty souls on Thy most precious 
Sacrifice. May those life-long sins be 
borne away forever by Thee into the land 
of oblivion, to rise up in judgment against 
us no more. May our daily walk be more 
circumspect and holy. Let us follow Thy 
will whatever it may be—though, at times, 
it may be at variance with our own. May 
we be willing to do all and endure all for 
CHRIST’S sake; ready to take the bitter 
as well as the sweet, and to feel that the 
Judge of all the earth must do right and 
cannot do wrong. In the spirit of Him who 
was “ dumb before His shearers,” may wo 
have grace to say,—“Even so, Father, for 
bo it seems good in Thy ^ight.” Oh, that 
U 


178 


THIRD WEEK. 


there were more in us the mind of our Di¬ 
vine Master—the holy, gentle, submissive 
spirit of Him who was meek and lowly in 
heart! Prepare us for His appearing and 
His Kingdom. Give us grace to feel that 
our time is short; that we have much to 
do, and not a moment we can call our own 
to calculate upon for doing it. May we 
have the girded loins and the burning 
lamps, and be like those who are waiting 
for their Lord’s coming. 

We entreat Thee to look down in special 
mercy on our household—[on parents and 
children, masters and servants.] Visit us 
all with the love which Thou bearest to 
Thine own. [May the young be guided 
through the slippery paths of youth ; may 
they be enabled early to range themselves 
on GOD’S side—to be early seekers, that 
they may be early finders.] May the ser¬ 
vants be actuated by great Christian mo¬ 
tives, performing the duties of their calling 
not with eye-service as men pleasers, but 


SATURDAY MORNING. 


179 


as doing the will of GOD from the heart ; 
may they know that in keeping Thy com¬ 
mandments there is a great reward. Bless 
those that are absent from us—may they 
be sheltered by Thine overshadowing 
wings—make them all the children of 
GOD, by faith in CHRIST JESUS. 

Good LORD, be with us during this 
day; vouchsafe to us that blessing which 
maketh rich and addeth no sorrow with it; 
and when all our days are finished, do 
Thou receive us into everlasting habita¬ 
tions, for the sake of JESUS CHBIST, ouf 
only LOUD and SAVIOUR. * Amen. 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , &c. 


Saturlrai. 


0 LORD, we desire to come into Thy 
sacred presence, on this the close of another 
day, and the termination of another week, 
adoring Thee for all Thy great goodness, 
and desiring with united hearts to set up 
our Ebenezer of thankfulness, and to say 
44 the Lord hath helped us hitherto.” We 
are utterly unworthy of the least of all Thy 
mercies. If ^hou hadst dealt with us as 
we deserved, or rewarded us according to 
our iniquities, we could not answer for one 
of a thousand. Blessed be Thy name, 
Thou hast devised means by which Thy 
banished may not be expelled from Thee ; 
•—the doing and dying of JESUS has open¬ 
ed the door to a Father’s heart. We can 
now look up to His glorious throne and be¬ 
hold His face beaming with reconciliation. 


SATURDAY EVENING. 


181 


We can behold the law disarmed of its con* 
demning power, for all its penalties have 
been borne. We can behold death itself 
stript of its terrors,—the dark valley light¬ 
ed up with the countenance and presence 
of a gracious SAVIOUR. 

LORD, after such a pledge of Thy 
kindness, we believe Thou wilt with Him 
also freely give us all things. If Thou 
deny us earthly bliss and earthly happi¬ 
ness, let the very denial be sweet to us, 
knowing that it is the will of infinite 
love. We will trust Thee implicitly 
Other joys may fail us, Thou never wilt. 
All our earthly props may be removed:; 
many have been; but in Thee we are 
secure as everlasting power, and everlast¬ 
ing wisdom and love can make us. Let 
us cleave to Thee as our souls best portion. 
And if there be times in our earthly his¬ 
tory when we are forced to exclaim—■ 
“ verily Thou art a GOD that hidest Thy¬ 
self,” we shall look forward with joy to 


182 


THIRD WEEK. 


that better world where mystery shall give 
way to perfect knowledge, and from Thy 
dealings inner and glorious meanings will 
be evolved which we cannot now perceive. 
LORD, make us more holy; sanctify us 
through Thy truth; keep us watchful, 
keep us humble, keep us from ungospel— 
unchristian-like tempers; keep us from all 
pride, vain glory, and hypocrisy. Let us 
live as pilgrims, with our eye heavenwards. 
Let us ever be journeying, and journeying 
nearer Thee. 

We pray for others as well as for our¬ 
selves. Draw near in mercy this night to 
any who may be in sorrow and distress, or 
who may be mourning the loss of beloved 
relatives. Do Thou sanctify their trials, 
that their very losses may turn into riches. 
May Thy blessing, and favor, and love, 
compensate for all that the world can either 
give or take away. 

Bless our beloved friends; enrol theii 
names in the Lamb’s book of life. Blesa 


SATURDAY EVENING. 


183 


every member of this family now suriound- 
ing Thy footstool; give them the heritage 
of those that fear Thy name. Do Thou 
spare us long together as an unbroken cir¬ 
cle on earth, and when we shall be called 
to leave behind us this lower valley, may 
we be conducted into those blessed re¬ 
gions, which eye hath not seen nor ear 
heard; where there shall be no more part¬ 
ing and no more death, neither sorrow nor 
crying, for the former things shall have 
passed away. 

We commend ourselves to Thy Fatherly 
protection during the silent watches of the 
night. Do Thou give us tranquil repose, 
—lying down in Thy fear, and awaking in 
Thy favor, fitted and prepared for all the 
holy duties and services of Thy holy Sab¬ 
bath. And all that we ask is for JESUS' 
sake. Amen. 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , &c. 


FOURTH WEEK. 


Santas ittfnuttg. 

WE will extol Thee, our GOD, 0 King, 
we will bless Thy name forever and ever; 
every day will we bless Thee, we will 
praise Thy name forever and ever. We 
bless Thee for the return of another Sab¬ 
bath. Again Thou hast permitted us to 
awake in safety, and not suffered our eyes 
to sleep the sleep of death. May it prove 
a holy day of rest to each of us, a rest from 
sin and a rest in GOD. May we welcome 
with gladness of heart the peaceful return 
of these peaceful hours—may all vain and 
worldly thoughts be set aside—may we be 
enabled to worship Thee in the beauty of 
holiness. 



SUNDAY MORNING. 


185 


But wherewithal, LORD, shall we come 
into thy presence. Our very prayers might 
seal our condemnation. Our purest ser¬ 
vices, if weighed in the balances, might 
rise up in judgment against us. We mourn 
our guilty insensibility to sin—we do not 
see its vileness—we have no depressing 
consciousness of the plague of our own 
hearts—we have no realizing sense of the 
infinite purity of Thy holy righteous law. 

We come anew in the name of Thy dear 
Son, confessing, and desiring deeply to feel 
as we confess, that we are sinners and the 
chief of sinners. We look to grace abound¬ 
ing over the aboundings of sin—to infinite 
merit abounding over infinite demerit— 
the everlasting righteousness and faithful¬ 
ness of a tried Redeemer, coming in the 
room of the poor, stinted, imperfect short¬ 
comings and deficiencies of the finite and 
fallible creature. Teach us to feel that we 
are nothing, have nothing, know nothing. 
We would place all our sins and burdens 


186 


FOURTH WEEK. 


on the head of the immaculate Surety ; lie 
alone can bear them all away into a land 
of oblivion, so that they can rise up to con¬ 
demn us no more. We bless Thee that he 
ever lives and reigns for our justification. 
We rejoice to think of Him as our Great 
High-Priest, with the names of His cove¬ 
nant people imperishably engraven on His 
heart, bearing them along with Him in 
every approach to the throne. We rejoice 
to think that all power in Heaven and in 
earth is entrusted to His hands:—nothing 
befals us but by His direction,—nothing is 
laid upon us but what He sees to be for 
our good. 

LORD JESUS, we commit our temporal 
and our everlasting interests to Thee. We 
rejoice that into such hands we can confi¬ 
dently entrust them. Undertake Thou for 
us. Carry on within us Thine own work 
in Thine own way. Keep us from all evil 
that is likely to grieve us. Give us that 


SUNDAY MORNING. 187 

dealing and that discipline that tends to 
bring us nearest Thyself. 

We pray for all in sickness and distress, 
for those laid on beds of languishing, for 
those deprived of beloved relatives, and 
who are mourning those who u are not.” 
May it please Thee to bind up their 
wounds, to soothe their sorrows, to heal 
their pains: direct the unwavering eye of 
faith to that better world, where every 
weight of earthly trial and earthly suffer¬ 
ing shall be exchanged for the exceeding 
weight of heavenly glory, and where GOD 
shall wipe away all tears from off all faces. 

Bless our own family and friends, both 
present and absent. May the invisible 
chain of Thy covenant-love bind us all 
together. [Bless our children, may they 
early obey the SAVIOUR’S invitation to 
come unto Him; may they be early conse¬ 
crated to Thy glory, and learn that the 
secret- of true happiness is to walk with 
GOD.] Strengthen this day all the minis* 


188 


FOURTH WEEK. 


ters of the everlasting gospel, may great 
grace be with them; may Thy churches, 
walking in the fear of GOD and in the 
comfort of the Holy Ghost, everywhere be 
multiplied. Promote unity and concord 
among Thy true people. Oh may that 
blessed period soon arrive, when Ephraim 
shall not vex Judah, nor Judah vex 
Ephraim—when men shall beat their 
swords into plowshares and their spears 
into pruning-hooks—all seeing eye to eye 
and heart to heart. 

Take us now under Thy care, and en¬ 
able us, whether waking or sleeping, to live 
together with Thee ; and all that we ask is 
for the sake of Him, in whose most precious 
name and words we would farther pray— 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord ,, &c. 


Santoas (girtninj. 

MOST BLESSED GOD, whose nature 
and whose name is love, we desire to draw 
near into Thy gracious presence on this 
the close of another Sabbath, thanking 
Thee for all the tokens of Thy love we 
have been permitted to enjoy. 

Do Thou come this night and take up. 
Thine abode in each heart. Abide with 
us, for it is toward evening and the day is 
far spent. Under the blessed sense of Thy 
presence and nearness we would compose 
ourselves to rest, with our minds stayed on 
GOD. 

We desire anew to bless and praise Thee 
for Thine unspeakable gift—JESUS the 
Son of Thy love. There is not a ray of 
hope which visits our dark souls but ema¬ 
nates from His cross. He is the channel 


190 


FOURTH WEEK. 


of every blessing. We rejoice to think 
that He is as willing as He is able to save 
“to the uttermost:” that at this moment 
He is bending upon us a gracious eye from 
the Throne—that with undying and undi 
minished love He is pleading our cause— 
the voice of this our elder Brother’s blood 
is in a blessed sense crying out for us. As 
a prince, He has power with GOD and pre¬ 
vails. “Whosoever cometh unto Him He 
will in nowise cast out.” 

. LORD, we come, casting ourselves on 
the fulness of Thy grace. Make us Thine 
own ; sanctify us wholly, in body, soul, and 
spirit. Let us not be slow to deny our¬ 
selves, and to take up our cross and follow 
JESUS. When Thou callest us to any 
duty, or any trial, may we be ready with 
the response—“Here I am.” May even 
trials and crosses become easy to us when 
borne in a spirit of tranquil submission to 
Thy will. Let us be living as pilgrims on 
the earth—weaned from what is uncertain 


SUNDAY EVENING. 


191 


and transitory here, and having our affec¬ 
tions fixed on the things which cannot be 
shaken, but remain forever. Oh that Thy 
love might be enthroned more than it is, 
as the ruling passion of our souls—and Thy 
glory more as the end and aim of our 
being. May we give no sleep to our eyes, 
nor slumber to our eyelids, till in our hearts 
we find a place for the LORD—an habita¬ 
tion for the mighty GOD of Jacob. 

Do Thou follow with Thine enriching 
blessing all the sacred services of Thy sanc¬ 
tuary. May Thy word be quick and pow¬ 
erful :—forbid that impressions be suffered 
to die away—do Thou fasten them as a 
nail in a sure place—and may the Sab¬ 
bath’s duties and employments diffuse their 
own solemnity and heavenliness around us 
throughout the week. 

We remember, with affectionate sym¬ 
pathy, the poor-—the destitute, and “ him 
that hath no helper”—the sick—the be¬ 
reaved—the dying. LORD, draw near to 


192 


FOURTH WEEK. 


all such; let them know that Thou hast 
grace for their every time of need, and 
that there is no want to them that fear 
Thee. We desire for our friends Thy ben¬ 
ediction and blessing: the LORD watch 
between them and us when we are absent 
one from another: 0 Thou omnipresent 
GOD, do Thou show that no distance can 
sever from Thee—give them every token 
of Thy love—preserve them from danger 
—guard them from temptation—number 
them with Thy saints in glory everlasting. 
[Bless the lambs of the flock, more espe¬ 
cially those now before Thee—Shepherd 
of Israel! make them Thine,—bringing 
them to the fold of grace on earth, and to 
Thy heaven of glory hereafter. 

Bless that branch of Thy church with 
which we are connected; bless Thy holy 
Church universal; have mercy on those 
who are still sitting in darkness and in the 
region and shadow of death. May a lifted 


SUNDAY EVENING. 


193 


up SAVIOUR, by the attractive power of 
His cross, draw all men unto Him. 

We commend us, blessed LORD, to Thee, 
'and to the word of Thy grace. Do Thou 
watch over us during the unconscious 
hours of sleep. May we awake in the 
morning in Thy favor; that so every new 
day being spent to Thy glory, may find us 
better fitted for entering on the joys of 
Thine everlasting Kingdom, through the 
merits of JESUS CHRIST, our only 
SAVIOUR. Amen. 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , dec. 

13 


Itnnirag Sfatning. 

0 GOD, Thou art the Infinite, Eternal, 
Unchangeable Jehovah; Thon art exalted 
on the pinnacles of all Being ; angels and 
archangels veil their faces with their 
wings in Thy presence, and cry out, “ un¬ 
clean, unclean!” 

We acknowledge our great unworthi¬ 
ness ; we mourn our great and grievous 
sins; Thy law has been set at nought by 
us; Thy love has been slighted; Thy 
Spirit grieved; Thy sovereignty dis¬ 
owned. We have been unmindful of 
Thee in prosperity—we have repined 
at Thy gracious ordinations in adversity. 
We have not endeavored to hallow all 
life’s duties with Thy favor. We have 
not sought Thy glory with singleness of 
eye; we have too often indulged in feel- 


MONDAY MORNING. 


195 


mgs and desires^ in tempers and affections 
inconsistent with our profession as follow¬ 
ers of the LORD JESUS. Not only do our 
iniquities, but our very best services testify 
against us. 

LORD, we come, casting ourselves on 
Thy free grace and mercy in JESUS. Let 
us have a holy jealousy of anything but His 
blood and work. Wash us, SAVIOUR, or 
we die. We will greatly rejoice in the 
LORD, our souls will be joyful in our 
GOD, for He hath clothed us with the gar¬ 
ments of salvation, he hath covered us 
with a robe of righteousness. 

Enable us to walk as it becometh Thy 
children. May we feel that it is guilt upon 
the conscience that restrains our prayers 
and mars our joy. Let us not trifle with 
conviction — let us not entertain the 
thought of trivial sins. May we feel all 
sins to be great sins; but yet, at the same 
time, may we rejoice that for the greatest 
sins there is a great and all-sufficient salva- 


196 


FOURTH WEEK. 


tion. There is no load we have, but He 
who bore our sins is able and willing to 
remove; “ we may be low in the deeps, 
but the arms of His everlasting love are 
lower still.” 

We pray not for ourselves only, but for 
all whom we ought to remember at a 
Throne of grace. If there be any in whom 
we are interested who are still far from 
Thee, bring them nigh by the same pre¬ 
cious blood. If any are still loitering and 
lingering who should be fleeing, may they 
hear Thy voice, saying—“ Escape for Thy 
life, lest thou be consumed.” If there be 
any backsliding, LORD reclaim them. If 
there be any sorrowing, LORD comfort 
them. Bind up their broken hearts. Give 
them Thyself—the better portion which 
never can be taken from them. 

Thy way is often in the sea, and Thy 
path in the deep waters. u The LORD 
reigneth ”—may this quiet all doubts. May 
we wait in patience the great day of dis- 


MONDAY MORNING. 197 

closures, when “in Thy light we shall see 
light.” 

Look down in Thy mercy on our family 
nd household; let it be a garden which 
ohe LORD hath blessed. May we all live 
in the unity of the Spirit, and in the bond 
of peace. 

Vouchsafe to keep us this day without 
sin. Be Thou, LORD, our Shepherd, and 
we shall not want. Keep us from, and 
keep from us, all that would be detrimental 
to our souls interests. May we lean on 
Thee in the extremity of our weakness.. 
May we rejoice, amid our exigencies, in the 
storehouse of grace in JESUS; and when 
“time shall be no longer,” may we meet 
in the unclouded sunshine of Thy presence, 
through JESUS CHRIST, our blessed 
LORD and SAVIOUR. Amen. 

Our Father, &c. 

The Grace of our Lord, &c* 


SUnlraj (Bmttj* 

MOST GRACIOUS AND EVERLAST¬ 
ING GOD, Father of all mercies, King of 
Kings, LORD of Lords—the Heaven, even 
the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain 
Thee. Myriads of blessed spirits are con¬ 
tinually casting their crowns at Thy feet, 
and worshipping Thee as LORD of all. 
How shall we, dust and ashes, presume to 
lift up our eyes to the place where Thou 
in glory dwellest? 

There is but one thing that preserves us 
from everlasting destruction, and that is 
Thy sovereign love in JESUS. We flee to 
Him as our only SAVIOUR:—we have no 
other—we require no other—He is our 
alone confidence—Him first—Him last—- 
Him all in all. Spare us, good LORD, 
epare us 4 as a man spareth his own son 


MONDAY EVENING* 


199 


that serveth him.” Spare us for the sake 
of thine own dear Son who hath “ served ” 
Thee on our behalf, doing all, and suffering 
all, and procuring all, for us. It is a 
glorious ground of confidence for a sinner 
to trust in. It has been tried by countless 
multitudes, and the blood that has cleansed 
their guilty stains has a voice of undimin¬ 
ished love and forgiveness for us. 

Thou faintest not, neither art weary—all 
Thy promises in Him are yea, and in Him 
amen. We cannot be in better hands than 
in Thine. Whether it be to do or to tear 
Thy will—may it be ours meekly to say 
“ Even so, Father!” Whatever may most 
conduce to Thy glory and our good do 
Thou appoint for us. Be Thou ever near 
us, not as a wayfaring man that turneth 
aside to tarry for a night, but gladdening 
us with the continued sense of Thy pres¬ 
ence and love. May we ever remember 
how transient and fleeting existence is; let 
us feel that the thread of life may snap 


200 


FOURTH WEEK. 


at any moment,—we cannot tell what 
a day or an hour may bring forth; may 
we work while it is called to-day, remem 
bering that there is no device, nor work, 
nor labor, in the grave whither we are 
going. 

Bless all our dear friends; let them be 
related to Thee; preserve their bodies from 
danger, and their souls from sin. May our 
household be a household of faith; may its 
lintels have sprinkled on them the blessed 
symbol of covenant love. May [parents 
and children,] master and servants be the 
members of a more glorious household ;— 
may we claim kindred with the saints and 
the household of GOD. 

Bless all in sorrow; may they feel that 
all are l need-be’ trials; let this be their 
comfort in their affliction— 11 if we suffer 
with Him we shall be also glorified to 
gether.” Let them look forward to that 
hour when “ their sorrow shall be turned 
into joy when GOD himself shall be with 


MONDAY EVENING. 


201 


them and be their GOD, and l/ when all 
tears shall be wiped from all faces.” 

Prepare ns all for Heaven; let us be 
living ever with glory in sight, that ours 
at last may be an “ abundant entrance.” 
Keep us waiting—keep us watching. Ere 
we lie down to sleep this night, give us the 
blessed sense of sin forgiven; and if spared 
until to-morrow, let us rise refreshed for 
duty, and fitted for service or for trial; 
and all that we ask is for the sake of Him 
whom Thou hearest always, and to whom 
with Thee, the Father, and Thee, 0 blessed 
Spirit, one GOD, be everlasting praise, 
honor, and glory world without end, 
Amen . 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord, &c. 


® minis Iptfnunj* 


ALMIGHTY AND EVERLASTING 
JEHOVAH, Thou art the heart-searching 
and rein-trying GOD; Thou art of purer 
eyes than to behold iniquity; evil cannot 
dwell with Thee, fools cannot stand in Thy 
presence. Thou hast solemnly declared 
that Thou canst by no means clear the 
guilty. It is only because of Thy great 
mercies in CHRIST—the unknown and 
unimagined depths of Thy love in Him, 
that we are not consumed, and that Thou 
hast not executed against us the cumberers 
awful doom. 

We bless Thee for all that JESUS hath 
done—for all that He is willing to do. 
We bless Thee that He is now exalted a 
Prince and a SAVIOUR,—that having 
purged our sins, he has forever sat down 


TUESDAY MORNING. 


203 


on the right hand of GOD, and that there 
He must reign until He hath put all ene¬ 
mies under His feet, Our earnest prayer 
is, that each of us may be personally and 
everlastingly interested in His great salva¬ 
tion ; may He be precious to us in all His 
offices, as our Prophet, Priest, and King, 
ruling over us, and within us, making our 
hearts the habitation of GOD through the 
Spirit. Blessed JESUS, dethrone self, and 
sin, and every idol—rule and reign Thou 
there supreme. May the fountains of the 
great deep of sin be broken up. Spare us, 
good LORD, spare Thy people, whom 
Thou hast redeemed with Thy most pre¬ 
cious blood, and be not angry with us for¬ 
ever! 

We would cast all our cares, and every 
individual care on Thee, knowing and 
rejoicing that Thou “carest for us” in a 
way and measure that the nearest and 
fondest on earth knows nothing of. See¬ 
ing Thou hast loved us with such an over- 


204 


FOURTH WEEK. 


flowing and everlasting love, may we love 
Thee better in return; may we not requite 
Thee with coldness and unthankfulness—or 
give Thee the wrecks of u a worn and 
withered affection.” May the best of our 
thoughts, and the best of our lives, and the 
best of our time, be surrendered freely to 
Thee. Let us trust Thee in everything; 
let us see Thy faithfulness in every event 
in our chequered and changing histories. 
How Thou hast smoothed our way in the 
past!—every thorn has been blunted, every 
cross has been lightened; our fears have 
been disappointed, our fondest hopes ful¬ 
filled. We will trust Thee in the future; 
if sorrow should darken our path, keep us 
from that guilty atheism which refuses to 
see in our trials any other hand but Thine. 
Let us feel that the great Shepherd who 
gave His life for the sheep cannot lead us 
wrong. 

Bless our dear friends; may the LORD 
be their keeper—may the sun not smite 


TUESDAY MORNING. 


205 


them by day, noT the moon by night. Do 
Thon preserve them from all evil, in their 
going out and in their coming in, from this 
time, henceforth, and even for evermore. 

Be merciful to the family of affliction; 
those laid on beds of pining sickness— 
those bereaved of beloved relatives;—may 
it please Thee to help, succor, and relieve 
them; may they know Thine own blessed 
name— 11 The Consolation of Israel;” may 
they take comfort in the assurance “the 
LORD will provide.” 

Be Thou with us throughout this day; 
sanctify all its duties; go with us where 
we go, dwell with us where we dwell; 
may we pitch our tent ever near Thyself, 
and then we shall be safe. Hear us, 
gracious God, and accept of us for the 
Redeemer’s sake. Amen. 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , &c. 


Winning. 

HEAVENLY FATHER, who hast in 
Thy providence permitted us to meet to¬ 
gether this night, be pleased of Thine infi¬ 
nite mercy to vouchsafe us Thy blessing. 
Scatter our darkness with the beams of 
Thy love. Dispel all harassing thoughts 
and misgivings, and disquietudes; ere we 
retire to rest may our minds be stayed ort 
Thee. Unto us, 0 LORD, belong shame 
and confusion of face. We mourn that we 
feel our guilt and unworthiness so little. 
We seldom have a depressing sense of our 
alienation from Thee. We often confess 
with the lip what the heart does not feel. 
We often appear to be humble when we 
are not humble; when our hearts are full 
of self, and pride, and vain glory. 

We desire to come anew into Thy 


TUESDAY EVENING. 


207 


presence, casting ourselves on the free 
grace and love and mercy of JESUS. 
We rejoice that in His cross all Thine 
attributes have been magnified. Thou art 
now proclaiming to the vilest and unwor- 
thiest that Thou hast no pleasure in the 
death of the wicked, but rather that he 
would turn from his wickedness and live. 
Turn Thou us, 0 LORD, and we shall be 
turned. 

We come to this blessed Physician of 
souls, rejoicing that He healeth all our 
diseases, that for the helpless and hopeless 
and dying, there is life. We will not 
“limit the Holy One of Israel.” Father! 
glorify Thy name and Thy grace in our 
full, free, and everlasting salvation. En¬ 
able us to live as those who are not their 
own, but bought with a price. May we be 
willing to be anything, and to do anything, 
and to suffer anything for that SAVIOUR 
who hath done and suffered so much for 
us; may our only grief be u to give Him 


208 


FOURTH WEEK. 


pain”—may our u joy be to serve and fol 
low Him.” Wheresoever He wishes us tc 
go, may we gladly obey; though our wills 
may be thwarted and our plans crossed, 
may we feel that covenant love and wisdom 
cannot lead us wrong; may we “wholly 
follow the LORD our GOD.” Sanctify us 
by the indwelling of Thy HOLY SPIRIT, 
and bring us to live more under the influ¬ 
ence of unseen realities. 

We desire to remember before Thee 
all whom we love. Hide them under the 
shadow of the everlasting wings, until 
earth’s calamities be overpast. Do Thou 
pour Thy richest benediction on this our 
household; known unto Thee are all our 
varied circumstances, our peculiar trials, 
and sorrows, and temptations, and per¬ 
plexities. Our every burden we cast on a 
faithful GOD. Our souls, our lives, our 
cares, we leave entirely in Thy hands, 
saying, “Undertake Thou for us.” 

Pity the afflicted; be Thou the Father of 


TUESDAY EVENING. 


209 


the fatherless, th'e Husband of the widow, 
the stranger’s shield, and the orphan’s stay; 
let them know that when heart and flesh 
faint and fail, Thou art the strength of 
their heart and their portion forever. 

Lift upon us all the light of Thy counte¬ 
nance ; the darkness of night has gathered 
around us, but do Thou shine upon us Thou 
better Sun:—it cannot be night if Thou be 
near. Watch over us during sleep, and 
when we awake may we be still with Thee. 
And all that we ask is for JESUS’ saka 
Amen. 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord y &c> 

U 


SiRtlrnesftsi flaming- 


GRACIOUS GOD, Light of all light, 
Source and Giver of every good and every 
perfect gift—do Thou draw near to us this 
day in Thine undeserved kindness—visit 
us with that love which Thou bearest unto 
Thine own. 

What a GOD hast Thou been to us! 
We marvel to receive, morning after 
morning, new proofs of Thy care—new 
pledges of Thy faithfulness. Thou hast 
been loading us with Thy benefits, though 
we are ungrateful and unthankful creatures. 
It is in the name and in the merits of Thy 
dear Son alone that we can have any con- 
fidence in approaching Tlee. We rejoice 
that we have ever a safe shelter and stand¬ 
ing place at the foot of His cross. We 
rejoice that there, every attribute of Thy 


WEDNESDAY MORNING. 


211 


nature has been vindicated and magnified. 
Myriads are now in glory to bear witness 
to the combined power and love of an all- 
gracious SAVIOUR, and what grace has 
done, grace can still do:—“the faithful 
saying ” has lost none of its preciousness. 
LORD JESUS, stretch forth Thy succor¬ 
ing hand. Save us else we perish. There 
is not a sin but Thou art able to cancel—- 
there is not the unsanctified heart Thou art 
unable to convert into a Temple of the 
living GOD. 

Do Thou keep us from the evil that is in 
the world;—may the fear of GOD act as a 
holy preservative from temptation—may 
we bear about with us the spirit of the 
Master we serve;—as good soldiers may 
we range ourselves under His banners;— 
animated by holy allegiance to Him, may 
we feel every day as we rise, that we rise 
to conflict—that we are to mingle in a 
present evil world, where often when we 
think we stand, we are ready to fall. We 


212 


FOURTH WEEK. 


would seek to launch our souls on the 
Divine promises. May our weakness drive 
us to Almighty strength. Good LORD, 
keep us by Thy grace from an uneven 
walk, from inconsistency of conduct. May 
we be gentle, and lowly, and meek, and 
forgiving. May we overcome evil with 
good, cherishing the spirit of JESUS, 
willing to bear His cross, with the prospect 
of at last sharing His crown. 

Do Thou bless this family and household. 
May it be one of the Tabernacles of the 
righteous, where the voice of joy and 
melody is often heard. [Bless parents and 
children, may the Lambs of the flock be 
the special care of the great and good 
Shepherd. Blessed JESUS, seal to them 
early an interest in Thy covenant—write 
their names in Thy Book of Life.] 

We pray for all in sorrow, may they look 
to the hand which was pierced for them to 
bind up their bleeding wounds—may He 
who graciously said of old, 14 1 know their 


WEDNESDAY MORNING. 


213 


BvAows," be near with His own exalted 
sympathy to minister to their varied expe* 
rienees of trial. 

We pray for Thy cause throughout the 
world. Bless our nation, may she be the 
honored instrument among the kingdoms 
of the earth in greatly promoting the glory 
of her GOB. Bless our President, may he 
evermore have affiance in Thee, and ever 
seek Thy honor and glory. Bless every 
rank and condition, may Thy favor encom-* 
pass all as with a shield. 

Be Thou with us, blessed LORD, this 
day. May Thine angels encamp round 
about us and keep us in all our ways; and 
when we come to die, do Thou receive us 
into everlasting habitations, for the sake 
of JESUS CHRIST our only SAVIOUR, 
Amen. 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , &c. 


Melnusfoaa ^tuning. 

MOST BLESSED GOD, Thou hast 
again in the multitude of Thy mercies 
permitted us to meet together around Thy 
holy footstool. Giver of all grace, draw 
Thou near to us in Thy great kindness; 
* enable us to end another day with Thee, 
and to retire to rest this night in the 
conscious possession of Thy friendship 
and love. 

What are we that we should be per¬ 
mitted to speak unto such a glorious and 
infinite GOD! We are dust and ashes— 
creatures of a day—who might long ere 
now have been righteously spurned from 
Thy presence. Blessed be Thy great and 
holy name for all the manifold proofs of 
Thy love; Thy ways are not as our ways; 
had they been so, we must all of us 


WEDNESDAY EVENING. 


2io 

have perished without hope:—it is of the 
LORD’S mercies that we are not con 
sumed. LORD give to each of us this 
night to know the blessedness of being 
at peace with Thee—of taking hold on 
that everlasting covenant which is well- 
ordered in all things and sure, looking 
away from our guilty selves and our 
guilty doings, to Him who has done all 
for us, and left nothing for us to do, but 
to receive a free, everlasting salvation as 
the gift of Thy grace. 

Give us a deep and abiding sense of 
our vileness and unworthiness. May sin 
and all sin be hated; may every bosom- 
traitor which has usurped the throne of 
our affections be cast down, that GOD 
Himself may be our all in all. May we 
s«ek to imbibe more of the spirit, and 
copy more of the example of our Divine 
Redeemer. May we feel it to be our joy 
to serve Him, our privilege to follow Him, 
our sorrow to vex and grieve Him. Take 


216 


FOURTH WEEK. 


us and use us for Thy glory;—sanctify our 
affections—elevate our desires;—may we 
have more of the character of holiness and 
breathe more of the atmosphere of Heaven. 
Keep us from being over careful and over 
troubled about earth’s many things;—en¬ 
able us to be more solicitous about the one 
thing needful;—may we be covetous only 
of the solid and durable riches of eternity. 

Bless our beloved relatives; may they 
all be enabled to claim a common kindred 
with the one Elder Brother on the Throne. 
Set Thine own mark on each one of us; 
though we may be separated from each 
other now, may Thy blessed Angels gathet 
us together at last in the same bundle for 
the Heavenly Garner. 

Let none put off preparation for death 
till a dying hour:—a present hour is all 
that we can call our own;—may we be 
living in that state of holy preparedness 
for death, that when the silver cord by 
which life is suspended is broken, we may 


WEDNESDAY EVENIN &. 217 

awake up in Thy likeness in glory ever* 
lasting. 

Look down on Thy church everywhere 
throughout the world—purify her more 
and more—may no weapon formed against 
her prosper;—may her ministers be men 
of GOD, and may her saints and people 
shout aloud for joy. Do Thou satisfy Zion’s 
poor with bread. May every afflicted one 
receive out of the wells of Thine own con¬ 
solation, and be led meekly to say “ The 
LORD’S will be done.” 

Graciously take the charge of us during 
this night. We commend us all to Thj> 
fatherly protection and care—whether we 
wake or sleep may we live together with 
Thee. And all we ask is for the LORD 
JESUS CHRIST’S sake. Amen . 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , &c. 


flming 


0 LORD our GOD, we desire to ap¬ 
proach the footstool of Thine eternal 
Throne, adoring Thee as the everlasting 
GOD, the LORD, the Creator of the ends 
of the earth, who faintest not, neither art 
weary. Thy wisdom never fails — Thy 
love never wearies—Thy resources never 
exhaust. The kindness of the kindest 
knows a limit, but Thy kindness knows 
no limit. Life would be one vast blank 
without Thee; but with Thy friendship, 
favor, and blessing, we are rich, whatever 
else Thou mayest take away. Vicissitude 
is written on all around us—time may 
estrange the nearest and dearest on earth, 
but u Thou art the same”—loving us at the 
beginning, Thou wilt love us even unto the 
end. 


THURSDAY MORNING. 


219 


We come unto Thee this morning in 
the name of Thy dear Son. All onr hope 
is in Him. A dying, risen JESUS, is the 
only secure shelter for the weary and heavy 
laden. Oh give us to know the blessed 
ness of that one Gospel-word, u No con¬ 
demnation.” Our sins reach unto the 
clouds—we cannot answer for one of a 
thousand ; but we rejoice that we can look 
up to one who has answered for us. 

Blessed SAVIOUR, Thou canst make 
every mountain of sin a plain. We can 
bury all in the ocean-depths of Thy forgiv¬ 
ing mercy. We seek no other refuge and 
need no other refuge but Thee. We would 
do nothing and he nothing that Thou mayst 
be all in all. Relying on Thee we can look 
calm and undismayed on all the unknown 
and chequered future. We can cast all 
our own cares as they arise on Thee, feeh 
ing not only that Thou carest for us, but 
that Thou makest these very cares Thine 
own. We can look forward to the last 


220 


FOURTH WEEK. 


enemy of all—to death itself without alarm ’ 
the rays of Immanuel’s love will dissipate 
the gloom of the dark valley, and cause us 
to rejoice in hopes full of immortality. 

Meanwhile, do Thou sanctify to us all 
the dealings of Thy providence. May 
these prove heart-searchers, quickening 
our footsteps Heavenward. Let us follow 
the leadings of the Great Shepherd of the 
flock. Let us repose in the blessed assur¬ 
ance “we shall not want.” Thou wilt not 
overburden us—all is gentle leading, gen¬ 
tle guiding. We have known Thee in the 
past, we will trust Thee in the future. 
Thou wilt lead us by a right way. Guide 
us while we live by Thy counsel, and when 
we come to die, may death be to us a fall¬ 
ing asleep in the arms of infinite love. 

Bless the church everywhere—may all 
Thy ministers be men of GOD, valiant for 
the truth, warning every man, and teach¬ 
ing every man in all wisdom; sustain the 
faith of those who amid manifold discour- 


THURSDAY MORNING. 


221 


agements are laboring in Heathen lands; 
may the LORD send His Angel to stand 
by them, and shut the mouth of every 
gainsayer. Oh hasten that glorious time, 
when the year of Thy redeemed shall 
come, and the whole earth shall be filled 
with Thy glory. 

Bless all of us who are here assembled. 
Known unto Thee are our several wants, 
and trials, and perplexities. Make Thy 
grace be sufficient for us. May a sense of 
Thy presence hallow all the day’s duties, 
and lighten all its trials. And all we ask 
is for JESUS’ sake. Amen. 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , &c. 


Ifcarjlraa ing. 

MOST BLESSED LORD, Father of 
all mercies, Thou art from everlasting to 
everlasting GOD, the same yesterday, and 
to day, and forever. Thou hast in Thy 
great goodness brought us again around 
the footstool of Thy Throne of Grace. 
During the past day many of our fellow- 
beings have gone into eternity;—we are 
spared! Thou hast been compassing our 
path—shielding us from manifold dangers, 
with unwearying watchfulness. None is so 
able, none is so willing as Thou art to be¬ 
friend us in every danger, and guide us in 
every perplexity. We can experience no 
real blank, and mourn no real loss, if we 
have Thee. The LORD liveth, and blessed 
be our rock, and let the GOD of our salvar 
tion be exalted. 


THURSDAY EVENING. 


223 


We desire this night to retire to rest, in 
the assured confidence that we have Thy 
favor resting upon us. Forgive all the 
sins of the past day—its sins of omission 
and commission, of thought and word and 
deed, whatever has been inconsistent with 
Thy pure and holy will. Let every day 
leave behind it the holy impression of some 
holy deeds;—make us more zealous for 
Thy honor and glory:—may we maintain 
a constant and habitual hatred of those 
6ins which have so long severed us from 
Thee. As we are daily approaching nearer 
death, may we be better prepared for it. 
May we ever be near the brink of the 
atoning fountain—continually hid in the 
clefts of the Bock, that when the last 
mysterious summons shall come, our end 
may be peace. 

Bless all who are in sickness and sorrow 
this night. Bind up their wounds. Let 
every wilderness-storm, and hurricane, drive 
them to lean more confidingly on the arm 


224 


FOURTH WEEK. 


of “the Beloved.” May their trembling 
spirits repose on JESUS, and they shall be 
more than conquerors. 

We pray for a whole world. Pity the 
nations that are sunk in heathen darkness. 
Hasten the Pentecostal effusion of the lat¬ 
ter day. When the enemy is coming in 
like a flood, may the Spirit of GOD lift up 
a standard to resist him. Bless all Thy 
faithful missionaries. In lands where Chris¬ 
tian sanctuaries are not, be Thou a little 
sanctuary to all Thy true servants—may 
they feel that the pleasure of the LORD is 
prospering in their hands—may they be the 
honored instruments in preparing many 
gems for Immanuel’s crown. Direct their 
Hearts into Thy love, and into the patient 
waiting for CHRIST. 

Bless our household, may it be one of 
the tabernacles of the righteous where the 
voice of joy and praise is often heard. 
[Bless parents and children, master and 
servants. May the joy of the LORD be 


THURSDAY EVENING. 


225 


our strength.] May we feel that in keep* 
ing Thy commandments there is a great 
reward. 

As the pillar of cloud goes before us by 
day, may the unseen pillar of fire be with 
us by night. May angels gather around 
us during the unconscious hours of sleep—• 
may no danger befall us, and no plague 
come nigh our dwelling. If pleased to 
spare us to see the light of another day, 
may we rise fitted and prepared for all 
the duties to which we may be called. 
And now unto Him who is alone able to 
keep us from falling, and to present us 
faultness before the presence of His glory 
with exceeding joy, be ascribed all bless¬ 
ing, and honor, dominion and praise, world 
without end. Amen 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , &c. 

15 


iriintu itimuKjj. 

ALMIGHTY AND MOST MERCIFUL 
FATHER, Thou art great and greatly to 
be feared; everything with Thee is infi¬ 
nite ; infinite Wisdom, infinite power, infi¬ 
nite love; Thy justice is as the great 
mountains, Thy judgments are a great 
deep! 

LORD, our hearts are deceitful, but 
“ Thou are greater than our hearts^” Give 
us a lowly estimate of ourselves—and 
lofty views of JESUS. We have nothing 
of our own but our sins; all that is good 
in us comes from Thee in Him; we can 
confidently repose our everlasting interests 
on His finished work;—it is all that the 
chief of sinners require. 

Forbid that we should presume on Thv 
mercy,—that we should take encourage- 


FRIDAY MORNING. 


227 


ment to sin from abounding grace. May 
we feel that Thy pure eye is upon us, 
that Thou triest us not according to man’s 
fallible judgment, but according to the 
standard of unerring rectitude and holi¬ 
ness. Let us not trifle with our souls, or 
trifle with Thee, or trifle with sin; may it 
be our lofty aim to be the servants of right¬ 
eousness ; may we show that the influence 
of Thy mercy and loving-kindness is to 
lead us to repentance—to reclaim our truant 
hearts from their wanderings, and bring 
them into subjection to the obedience of 
JESUS. Let us take Him in all things as 
our pattern. When in want of direction 
or guidance in any duty, or under any 
trial, may this be ever our inquiry—How 
would the SAVIOUR have acted here? 
May we seek to walk, in His steps, and im¬ 
bibe His unselfish spirit. May life be one 
grand effort to crucify self and to please 
GOD. Let us be willing to accept of any¬ 
thing with Thy smile in it, and to dread 


228 


FOURTH WEEK. 


nothing but what has Ihy wrath and dis¬ 
pleasure in it. In our varied spheres may 
we seek to be duty-doing Christians, actu¬ 
ated by the single motive of love to Thee. 
Let each feel that we have some work to 
perform, some mission for JESUS —some 
talent to trade on. We would cast by 
faith our mites into His Treasury, and ever 
be asking in simple faith, “ LORD, what 
wouldst Thou have me to do.” May we, 
this day and every day, have Thy counte¬ 
nance shining upon us, and then we must 
have peace. We cannot be happier than 
with the assurance of Thy love here, and 
the promise of Thy heaven hereafter—walk¬ 
ing homewards, and walking with GOD. 

Let Thine own hand be around all our 
beloved friends, present or absent. In¬ 
scribe their names in the Lamb’s Book of 
Life ; may they be Thine on that day when 
Thou makest up Thy jewels. Sanctify sor¬ 
row to the sons and daughters of affliction; 
let them not murmur under Thy Fatherly 


FRIDAY MORNING. 


229 


chastisements; let them own Thy Sover¬ 
eignty, and take comfort in the thought 
Thou doest all things well. LORD, how 
pt are we to murmur at Thy righteous 
dispensations; how much secret atheism is 
there here, how much looking to second 
causes, and thereby building of altars to 
the unknown GOD. Give us to see no 
hand but Thine in the bestowing and re¬ 
moving the gifts of Thy bounty. The 
LORD reigneth, let the earth be glad! 

We commend us, blessed LORD, to 
Thee, and to the word of Thy grace. Do 
Thou hear, answer, and accept of us, for the 
sake of Him whom Thou hearest always, 
and to whom with Thee, the Father, and 
Thee ever-blessed Spirit, Three in One 
in covenant for our Redemption, be as¬ 
cribed all blessing, and honor, and glory, 
and praise, world without end. Amen. 

Our Father , &c. 

The Gro.ce of ouv Lord , cfc. 


friintg dotting. 

0 LORD, we desire to approach Thy 
Throne of Grace, thanking Thee for the 
liberty of access we at all times enjoy to 
Thy footstool. We bless Thee that the 
gates of prayer are ever open—that Thou 
regardest the cry of the needy, and never 
sayest unto any of the seed of Jacob— 
“seek ye my face in vain.” 

How unworthy are we to come into 
Thy sacred presence. There is enough of 
coldness in our prayers, of insincerity in 
uur repentance, of imperfection in our best 
attempts to serve Thee, that were we tried 
by these we must have perished forever. 
Our best prayers themselves require for 
givencss. 

Blessed JESUS, Thou great covenant 
Angel, let Thy golden censer down in the 


FRIDAY EVENING. 


231 


midst of us tliis night, that we may have 
these poor words of ours perfumed with 
the precious incense of Thine adorable 
merits. In Thee alone are our persons 
and our services rendered acceptable. We 
flee to the pavilion of Thy love. Here we 
are safe, though everywhere else we be in 
danger. Let us exercise a simple confi¬ 
dence and trust in Thy completed work. 
We bring every sin to Thy cross—every 
wound to Thy healing. May we have 
Thee in all and for all the duties and trials 
of life. Do Thou disarm all its crosses— 
sanctify its losses—may prosperity and ad¬ 
versity be alike used for Thy glory. 

Let us hate evil,—give us to feel how 
cherished sin ruins our peace, and unfits us 
for the enjoyment of Thee and Thy service. 
Keep us especially from presumptuous 
sins, let them not have dominion over us. 
May our religion show its vitality by its 
fruits; loving Thee our GOD, may we 
love our fellow-men; may we be patient 


232 


FOURTH WEEK. 


and unselfish, forbearing and forgiving, 
lowly and meek, pitiful and courteous. 
Let us overcome evil with good. May all 
our things be done with charity. May 
we show, by our Christ-like walk and 
conversation, what spirit we are of; not 
conformed to the painful practices and base 
compliances of a world lying in wicked¬ 
ness,—but seeking to have our conduct 
moulded in conformity with His benign 
Spirit and holy will. 

Thou sympathizing SAVIOUR.—be the 
Friend of the friendless, the support and 
solace of the bereaved. There are name¬ 
less sorrows on earth which are beyond the 
reach of the tenderest human sympathy—• 
Elder Brother ! make them Thine. What 
man cannot touch, the God-man can. This 
is Thy sublime prerogative, “ I know their 
sorrows.” Let all Thy tried people with 
joy anticipate that gladsome morning, 
when the shadow of death shall melt and 
merge into eternal glory. 


FRIDAY EVENING. 


233 


Bless all our beloved friends,—may Thy 
loving eye rest upon them;—may a sense 
of Thy favor pervade all their doings— 
"hallow all their joys and sanctify all their 
sorrows. May none be found wanting at 
Thy right hand on the Great Day. 

Let us all order our plans as dying crea¬ 
tures ; night after night as we retire to rest 
may we think of that deeper darkness 
which must, sooner or later, gather around 
us. Shepherd of Israel who never slum¬ 
bers, and never sleeps, be Thou very near 
us, as we now retire to rest; may we repose 
oeneath the shadow of Thy wings. Let us 
feel in the morning when we rise, that we 
rise to renew our work and warfare on 
earth—a day nearer glory and nearer Thee* 

Hear us, blessed GOD, and grant us an 
abundant answer for the sake of Him whom 
Thou hearest always. Amen. 

Our Father , &e. 

The Grace of our Lord , &c. 


SatttrfrRH SUntinj. 


0 GOD, we desire to come into Th} 
olessed presence on this the morning of a 
new day, adoring Thee for all Thy mercies. 
Last night we might have slept the sleep 
of death; we might have been startled by 
the midnight cry, “Prepare to meet thy 
GOD!” But Thy love and forbearance 
again permits us to meet on praying 
ground; the day of grace is lengthened, 
and the GOD of grace waits to be gracious! 

LORD we look back with amazement at 
Thy patience. Mercies have been abused 
■—providences slighted—warnings neglect¬ 
ed. Our lives are a long dark retrospect 
of ingratitude and guilt:—Justly mightest 
Thou have said, “Let them alone,”—“why 
should they be stricken any more ?” 

But Thou art not willing to leave us 



SATURDAY MORNING. 


235 


thus to be exiled from Thee: Thou art 
still opening up a way for the return of 
Thy prodigal and wayward children. In 
wrath Thou art remembering mercy. We 
have still the richest encouragement to 
repair to the opened fountain: Jesus still 
waits—His blood still cleanses—His spirit 
still pleads. The faithful saying is as faith¬ 
ful as ever— u Him that cometh unto me I 
will in no wise cast out.” Thy thoughts 
are not as man’s thoughts; the most won¬ 
drous of all thoughts of a GOD whose ways 
are past finding out, is, that the sinner with 
all his deep depravity, and unutterable vile¬ 
ness, and base ingratitude, can yet be wel¬ 
comed, pardoned, accepted, loved! 

We desire to receive this new day as a 
fresh gift from Thee. Let Thine approval 
form throughout it a holy incentive to 
every duty. Let us feel that we never can 
be happy but when pleasing Thee. Let us 
be aiming ever at a conquest of self; sub¬ 
ordinating all we do to Thy service. 


236 


FOURTH WEEK. 


LORD, it is Thy will and desire that every 
moment we should be reaping glory for 
Thee—keep us from so alienating existence, 
from its great end, as to be living to our¬ 
selves. We look to Thy grace to enable us 
thus to will and to do. Thou hast wrought 
all for us, and Thou alone eanst work all 
in us. Strengthen us with all might by 
Thy Spirit in the inner man. How slow 
we are to believe that our truest security 
is leaning confidingly on Thine arm. Thou 
art faithful that promised—Thou art more 
* faithful—Thou art better than Thy word. 
Thy name is the GOD of all grace—Thou 
givest all sufficiency in all things. The 
cup runneth over that is filled by Thee— 
and nothing can come wrong to us that 
comes from Thy hand. 

Bless all near and dear to us; all that is 
truly good for them in this life do Thou 
bestow; and, what is better, do T1 ou give 
them the heritage of glory. [May our chil¬ 
dren be the children of the covenant—may 


SATURDAY MORNING. 


237 


they grow up as willows by the water 
courses, and be a seed to serve Thee when 
wc are gathered to our fathers.] 

Take us all, young and old, this day 
under Thy protection. GOD of all mercy 
spread Thy covering wings around us. Be 
our GOD and Guide even unto death, and 
finally bring us to Thine everlasting king¬ 
dom through the merits of Thy dear Son— 
our only LORD and SAVIOUR. Amen. 

Our Faiktr , &c . 

The Grace of our Lord , dec. 


Sslttrlrsts €ijfning. 

0 GOD, Thou art the King eternal, 
immortal, and invisible. The Heaven of 
Heavens cannot contain Thee. Myriads 
of pure and holy spirits cease not day nor 
night to celebrate Thy praises. All their 
adorations cannot add to Thy glory; all 
their homage cannot augment Thine inef¬ 
fable blessedness. 

What are we that we should be permit¬ 
ted to approach the presence of a GOD, so 
great and so glorious. Every day and 
every hour condemns us. Thou seest more 
deficiency and defilement in our best deeds 
than we see in our worst. We are apt to 
palliate sin—but no sin is trivial with Thee. 
We are apt to forget sin—we are too will¬ 
ing to hide it from Thee, and hide it from 
ourselves—but we cannot evade Thy right- 


SATURDAY EVENING. 


239 


ecus scrutiny. We cannot screen our guilt 
from the great Heart-searcher :—all things 
are naked and opened unto the eyes of 
Him with whom we have to do. 

But blessed be Thy name, we have “ to 
do” with such a GOD as Thee. “ Who is 
a GOD like unto our GOD that pardoneth 
iniquity ?” Sinners, and the u chief of 
sinners”—guilty—tempest-tossed—seeking 
rest and finding none—we find it, LORD, 
in the blood, and work, and merits, and 
righteousness of Thy dear Son. Casting 
our eternal all on Him, we can rejoicingly 
say— u Return unto thy rest, 0 our souls, 
for the LORD hath dealt bountifully 
with us. 1 ’ 

Bring us to live more constantly and 
habitually under the constraining influence 
of Redeeming love. May these souls of 
ours ransomed at such a price be wholly 
dedicated to Thy service. Let us not 
dream of reconciliation if we still cleave to 
unmortified sin. Let us not deceive our- 


240 


FOURTH WEEK. 


selves with the form of godliness. Let us 
not rock ourselves asleep, saying—“ Peace, 
peace, where there is no peace.” Let us 
know more and more that this is Thy will 
concerning us, even our sanctification. 
May grace be waxing stronger and strong¬ 
er, and sin waxing weaker and weaker. 
May this struggle against corruption issue 
in the confirmed habit of holy life. May 
Thy Spirit—the Spirit of grace, and peace, 
and love, “ garrison” our hearts. Cast out 
every rival; keep us from pride—the great 
master-passion of our fallen and corrupted 
hearts; from vain glory and hypocrisy; 
from envious, uncharitable, unforgiving 
frames and tempers. Keep us from the 
secret atheism which refuses to own Thy 
hand, and which calls that “accident” 
which is the solemn and deliberate decree 
of a wisdom which cannot err. 0 may we 
be preserved in body, soul, and spirit, ready 
to be presented faultness at last before the 
presence of Thy glory with exceeding joy. 


SATURDAY EVENING. 


241 


Be Thou with us this night. Be the 
Guardian of our unconscious hours. Wheth¬ 
er we wake or sleep may we live together 
with Thee. 

Thou hast brought us to the end of an¬ 
other week. We are on the eve of another 
Sabbath;—oh may we be nearer Heaven, 
and better prepared for an everlasting sea¬ 
son of Communion with Thee. We would 
desire especially, as the week is closing, to 
remember before Thee all our beloved 
friends. God of all grace, dispense to them 
Thy richest blessings. May those ties 
which on earth are so precarious and liable 
to be dissolved, be rendered indissoluble 
by grace—that so when we part on earth, 
it be only to meet in glory everlasting. 

Have mercy on all who are in affliction. 
0 Thou Healer of the broken-hearted, Thou 
Helper of the helpless, may every wound¬ 
ed spirit be bound up by Thee. May the 
lonely and unbefriended feel that in the 
loneliest solitude they are not alone, if 


242 


FOURTH WEES. 


Thou, their God and Father, art with them. 
Spare valued and valuable lives, and may 
those who are appointed to death, have the 
valley-gloom lighted with Immanuel’s love. 

And now, Lord, what wait we for ? our 
hope is in Thee;—our wishes, our desires, 
our interests, our joys, our sorrows, our 
friends, we leave entirely to Thy care and 
disposal. Prepare us for the solemn duties 
and services of another day of the Son of 
Man. Give to all of us a double portion 
of Thy Holy Spirit, that our souls may be 
fitted for holding nearer and more intimate 
fellowship with Thee. And all that we 
ask is for the LORD JESUS CHRIST’S 
sake. Amen. 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord\ &c. 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS 


®0ntinij a Cmramumt Sirfilratlr. 

ALMIGHTY AND EYERLASTINQ 
GOD, we bless Thee for the return of an¬ 
other day of the Son of Man. Pour out 
upon us a double portion of Thy grace :— 
fill our hearts with Thy love. May all 
vain, and wandering, and sinful thoughts 
be repressed; may our communion and 
fellowship this day be with the Father and 
with his Son JESUS CHRIST. 

We bless Thee, 0 most gracious LORD, 
for the prospect we have of anew commem¬ 
orating the dying love of our risen and 
exalted Redeemer—of surrounding once 
more the table in the wilderness, and par¬ 
taking of the bread of everlasting life. 



244 


OCCASIONAL PRATERS. 


Give to each of us the u wedding garment .’ 1 
Let us prepare to meet our GOD. May we 
feel that the place whereon we are to stand 
is holy ground. May we rejoice at the 
renewed opportunity of testifying in the 
presence of angels and men our unaltered 
and unalterable attachment to our blessed 
LORD and Master. In a strength greater 
than our own may we be enabled to resolve 
that He will be henceforth ours only—ours 
wholly—ours forever. 

Give us this day quickening apprehen¬ 
sions of the great love wherewith He hath 
loved us: may we see, in some feeble 
measure, into its depths. May these dead 
and lukewarm souls of ours be quickened 
into newness of life. May our faith be in¬ 
vigorated, and our love deepened, and our 
graces strengthened. May this be the 
grateful aspiration of all our hearts — 
“What shall we render unto the LORD, 
for all His benefits towards us. We will 
take the cup of Salvation and call upon the 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


245 


name of tlie LORD; we will pay our vows 
unto the LORD now in the presence of all 
ITis people.” 

We pray for all who are to break along 
with us this day the bread of life. Give 
to each of them some special token of Thy 
covenant love. May they see the King in 
His beauty. May their experience be— 
“ It was good for us to draw near unto 
GOD.” Keep back all presumptuous and 
unworthy guests. Encourage all misgiv¬ 
ing, trembling, faint-hearted ones. While 
feeling their own tmworthiness may they 
remember they go to commemorate the 
infinite worthiness of Him who is all • 
worthy. May they hear Thy voice of en¬ 
couragement saying u fear not, for I know 
that ye seek JESUS who was crucified.” 

Go forth this day everywhere with the 
preaching of Thy holy gospel. May wan¬ 
derers be reclaimed; may mourners be 
comforted; may saints be edified; may Thy 
name be glorified. Stand by Thy minister* 


246 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


ing servants:—may they hide themselves 
behind their LORD, pointing away from 
the excellency of their own speech and their 
own wisdom to Him, who alone by the at' 
tractive power of His Cross, can draw all 
men unto Him. We commend to Thy pater¬ 
nal keeping onr beloved friends. May they 
be among the number of Thy sealed ones. 
Sanctify them in body, soul, and spirit, that 
they may at last be presented faultless and 
unblamable before Thy dear Son, at His 
appearing and His kingdom. Bless this 
household ; masters and servants [parents 
and children]. Let us all at last sit down 
one united and undivided family with Abra¬ 
ham, and Isaac, and Jacob, at the better 
feast of communion in Thy heavenly king¬ 
dom. And all that we ask is for the sake 
of Him, in whose most precious words we 
would farther say— 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord } &c 


Atoning 0f r CflmmmOT SaMatjr. 


MOST GRACIOUS GOD, who hast in 
Thy good providence brought us to the 
close of another Sabbath, we entreat Thee 
to accept of our unfeigned thanks for all 
the loving kindness and tender mercy Thou 
hast made this day to pass before us. We 
bless Thee for all that our eyes have 
seen, and our hands have handled of the 
Word of life. Do Thou wash us after 
supper. May the benediction and blessing 
of the Master of the feast rest upon us. 
May we descend the holy mount rejoicing 
in. the presence and love of Him, who 
brought us into His own banqueting house, 
and caused His banner over us to be love. * 
Gracious GOD, give us grace to pay tho 
vows which our lips have this day uttered ; 
fulfil in us all the good pleasure of Thy 


248 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


goodness, and the work of faith with power, 
that the name of the LORD JESUS 
CHRIST may be magnified. As we have 
named His*precious name anew, may we 
henceforth depart from all iniquity. Send 
us help out of Thy sanctuary, and strengthen 
us out of Zion :—may the LORD grant us 
the desires of our hearts, and fulfil all our 
petitions. May a Communion Sabbath’s 
services diffuse a hallowed glow over all 
the duties and engagements of the week: 
—may we show to the world that we have 
“ been with JESUS,” and that it has been 
no vain thing for us to draw near unto 
GOD. LORD, our own strength is weak¬ 
ness ; we cannot follow out one single reso¬ 
lution depending on ourselves. We will 
go in the strength of the LORD GOD. 
May we be kept by Thy mighty power. 
May we exercise a holy jealousy over our¬ 
selves. Let us hear Thy monitory voice 
ever saying to us—“When thou thinkest 
thou standest take heed lest thou fall.” 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


249 


Keep us from the beginnings of sin; pre* 
serve us from wandering on debateable 
ground; may we ever be where we should 
wish to be found by our LORD when He 
cometh. Our cry would be u More grace ! 
more grace!”—our trust would be in that 
GOD who, as the GOD of all grace, can 
impart an aZZ-sufficiency in all things. 
Sanctify our hearts by the indwelling of 
Thy blessed Spirit. May they become tem¬ 
ples dedicated to His glory. May this be 
their motto and superscription— u Holiness 
to the LORD.” 

We pray for those who may have joined 
with us this day in the same solemn and 
sacred ordinance. We commend each and 
all to the great Shepherd of the sheep, who 
through the blood of the everlasting cove¬ 
nant will make them perfect to do His will. 

Regard in Thy great mercy, any who 
may have been prevented from waiting 
upon Thee in Thy house and in Thine or¬ 
dinances. Compensate by an increased sup 


250 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


ply of Thine own promised grace for the 
want of public services. Transform every 
eick-chamber, and every death-bed, into 
the house of GOD and the gate of heaven. 
May valuable lives be prolonged. May the 
bereaved be comforted: may they repose 
their bleeding bosoms on Him who bare 
their sorrows and knows their sorrows. 

Take the charge of us this night; watch 
over us during the unconscious hours of 
sleep; may we all come at last to the eter¬ 
nal blessedness of an uninterrupted Com¬ 
munion Sabbath in glory, around which 
no shadows shall fall;—for there shall be 
no night there, and they need no candle, 
neither light of the sun, for the LORD 
GOD giveth them light, and they shall 
reign forever and ever. Amen . 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , &c. 


fraitf for a gas of Jumilfotfon. 


ALMIGHTY AND MOST MERCIFUL 
GOD, Thou art glorious in holiness, faith* 
ful in praises, continually doing wonders. 
Thou art of purer eyes than to behold 
iniquity;—Thou canst not look upon sin 
but with abhorrence. Do Thou pour out 
upon us this day the spirit of grace and of 
supplication—the spirit of humility and 
deep abasement. In self-renouncing lowli¬ 
ness we desire to take the publican’s place 
and cry out, “unclean, unclean!—GOD be 
merciful unto us sinners!” 

Father ! we have sinned against heaven 
and in Thy sight, we are no more worthy 
to be called Thy children. Our sins have 
reached unto the clouds : they are sins of 
deep aggravation—they have been com¬ 
mitted against manifold privileges, solemn 


252 


OCCASIONAL PRATERS. 


warnings, earnest entreaties, innumerable 
mercies. The kindness of the best earthly 
friend has been nothing to Thine. Morn¬ 
ing and evening have had the same testi¬ 
mony to bear of unmerited patience, and 
condescension, and love,—and yet our 
hearts have been ungrateful and unthank¬ 
ful. They have been mercies abused—warn¬ 
ings slighted—providences unsanctified. 

We acknowledge our sins as individuals. 
Our hearts have been estranged from Thee: 
*—we have been lovers of pleasure more 
than lovers of GOD. Divine things have 
not been ever using a paramount influence 
over us. We have been living for earth— 
seeking our chief good short of Thyself, the 
only soul-satisfying portion. Our love has 
been cold—our faith weak—our graces 
languid—our services polluted: self and 
sin have mingled with our best attempts to 
glorify Thee. We have not been exercis¬ 
ing a holy jealousy over ourselves. We 
have been guilty of envy and jealousy— 


OCCASIONAL PRATERS. 


253 


we have harbored unkind suspicions of 
others—we have not had that charity which 
hopeth all things, and believeth all things, 
and endureth all things. In prosperity wq 
have been unmindful of the author of our 
mercies. In adversity we have been 
tempted to give way to hard thoughts and 
unrighteous surmises about the faithfulness 
and rectitude of Thy dealings. 

We acknowledge our sins as families. 
We have not been exhibiting a holy con¬ 
sistency of walk and conversation—we 
have not been declaring before the world 
that as for us and our house we will serve 
the LORD. Thy word has not been prized 
as it ought. The flame of love and devo¬ 
tion has not burned brightly on the domes¬ 
tic altar as it ought. The leaven of vital 
godliness has not been pervading with its 
hallowed influences our family engage¬ 
ments, and occupations, and duties. We 
have not done what we might have done 
for Thee—we have been more set on selfish 


254 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


and worldly schemes and objects, than in 
devising measures for the promotion of 
Thy glory and the good of our fellow men. 
The religion professed by the lip has not 
been verified and exemplified by holy and 
devout practice. 

We confess our sins as a church and as 
a nation. LORD, Thou hast filled our cup 
with mercies—Thou hast dealt with us as 
Thou hast not dealt with any other people. 
But, alas! have we not abused our privi¬ 
leges? We mourn and blush to think of 
the vice and profligacy—the intemperance 
and ungodliness which is rising up in ter¬ 
rible memorial against our highly-favored 
land. We mourn our desecrated Sabbaths, 
and deserted sanctuaries, and unread Bibles; 
—we mourn the eye service and the lip 
homage which, too often among Thy pro¬ 
fessing people, takes the place of heart and 
soul’s consecration ;—we mourn the little 
we have done, the much we have left un¬ 
done, to promote Thy cause in the world- 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


255 


Father, forgive us these our many and 
heinous offences—humble us in the dust 
because of all our unworthiness. Give us 
grace this day, while we mourn the past, 
humbly, but earnestly, to resolve to live 
more devotedly to Thee in the future. Ac¬ 
cept of our unworthy confessions for 
JESUS’ sake. Sprinkle these guilty hearts 
with his precious blood. Let us seek in 
all time to come to walk before Thee in 
holiness and righteousness of life to the 
glory of Thy name. 

We commend ourselves and all belonging 
to us to Thy care and keeping—never 
leave and never forsake us; and all that 
we ask or hope for, is in the name and for 
the sake of JESUS CHRIST, our blessed 
LORD and SAVIOUR. Amen. 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , 


256 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


("IF ON A DAY OF HUMILIATION PRECEDING 
THE COMMUNION.] 

(In the prospect of sitting down at Thy 
holy table, may we be enabled to look 
upon Him whom all these transgressions 
of ours have pierced, and to mourn. May 
we be melted under a sense of our own 
great unworthiness, and of His amazing 
love; when we take into our hands the 
memorials of his anguish and sufferings, 
may they read to us an affecting lesson 
of the evil of that accursed thing, which 
cost the Son of God so much. Let us not 
venture on that holy ground with one sin¬ 
gle sin unrepented of, or uncrucified. Let 
us go humbly resolving that we are to be 
wholly Thine,—that whatsoever others do, 
as for us, we will serve the LORD.) 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


257 


[if on the occurrence of any national 

CALAMITY-SUCH AS PLAGUE, PESTILENCE 

FAMINE, OR WAR.] 

(THOU art now seeing meet in Thine 
adorable providence to read aloud to us as 
a nation, solemn lessons of rebuke and judg¬ 
ment. We acknowledge anew that our sins 
are the fruitful cause of national calamities 
instead of wondering at these vials of Thy 
wrath, we have rather reason to wonder 
and be amazed that Thou hast forborne so 
long—that Thou hast been so slow to deal 
out merited retribution. LORD, listen to 
our fervent supplications for Thy returning 
favor; avert farther calamity. Let us fall 
into the hands of GOD, for great are His 
mercies. Do Thou say to the destroying 
angel as He is even now hovering around 
us, “It is enough, stay now thine hand.” 
May this national chastisement lead to na¬ 
tional repentance. May we come forth 

17 


258 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


from the furnace purified as the gold—ves¬ 
sels of glory more and more meet for the 
Master’s use.) 


LORD, bless each and all of us now 
assembled;—make us Thine own;—put 
Thine own seal and mark upon us;—fit 
us for living—fit us for dying. May we, 
and all near and dear to us, have the 
heritage of those that fear thy name. May 
we be bound up now in the same bundle 
of spiritual life, that at the appearing and 
kingdom of our great LORD and SA¬ 
VIOUR, we may enter with His ransomed 
people on glory everlasting; and all that 
we ask is for His sake. Amen. 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , &c. 



<£|}rj« trass fair. 

ALMIGHTY AND EVERLASTING 
GOD, the Father of our LORD JESUS 
CHRIST, we desire on this sacred anni- 
versary to draw near, m His name, to Thy 
holy footstool. Our souls would magnify 
the LORD—our • spirits would rejoice in 
GOD our SAYIOUR ; for He that is 
mighty hath done great things, and holy 
is His name. Blessed be the LORD GOD 
of Israel, for He hath visited and re¬ 
deemed His people, and hath raised up for 
us an horn of salvation in the house of 
His servant David. 

We look back with devoutest gratitude 
and joy to that memorable night when 
the angels appeared over the Plains of 
Bethlehem, proclaiming that the promised 
Child was born, the promised SAYIOUR 


260 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


was given—that through Him, while glory 
was secured to GOD in the highest, peace 
was proclaimed on earth and good will to 
the children of men. We adore the amazing 
condescension which brought the LORD 
of life and of glory from His Throne in 
Heaven to that manger of humiliation; 
“ GOD over all,” dwelling in union with 
an infant of days ! 

We desire this morning to present our¬ 
selves before the Holy Child JESUS, like 
the wise men of old, with the gold and 
frankincense and myrrh of our best affec¬ 
tions and deepest love. Had it not been 
for this inconceivable stoop from the in¬ 
finite to the finite, where would we have 
been this day? Well may we join in 
the angelic song, and say “ Glory ! eternal 
glory be to GOD in the highest for Ilia 
best—His unspeakable gift, without which 
not one ray of hope or joy could have 
visited our doomed world!” As we gather 
in thought around His unhonored cradle, 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


261 


may our souls rise in lively gratitude to 
Him who spared not His only Son, but 
reely gave him up to the death for us all. 
We will sing unto the LORD a new song, 
for he hath done marvellous things; His 
right hand and His holy arm have gotten 
Him the victory. Thanks be unto GOD 
who giveth us the victory through the 
LORD JESUS CHRIST. 

May we seek by holy, righteous, and 
consistent lives—by holy living and holy 
walking—to show that we are not insensi 
ble of all his unmerited love and kindness. 
Blessed JESUS, make us Thine! Sanctify 
us wholly;—wean us from earth—train us 
for glory. Forbid that it should be said 
that for any of us, Bethlehem’s manger was 
prepared in vain, and Bethlehem’s angel- 
song sung in vain. Contemplating Him 
this day in His humiliation, when he was 
made in the likeness of man, may it be 
ours to look forward with holy joy to His 
second coming in the clouds of Heaven—- 


262 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


His tears, and sorrows, and cries all past-- 
when the Babe of Bethlehem—tlic sufferer 
of Gethsemane—the crucified of Calvary— 
shall be seated on the Throne of universal 
empire, and crowned “LORD of all.” 

We pray that His holy name may be 
everywhere magnified. Arise, 0 GOD, 
and plead Thine own cause. May a dark 
world be soon cheered by the wondrous 
proclamation we this day love to recall. 
May the “ Prince of Peace ” take to Him 
self His great power and reign, causing 1 
men to beat their swords into ploughshares 
and their spears into pruning hooks. 

We pray for the afflicted—lead them 
this day to Bethlehem’s manger and Beth¬ 
lehem’s SAVIOUR—show them all that 
He was willing to do for them , and may 
this reconcile them to bear patiently what¬ 
ever trial he may see meet to appoint, 
may they rejoice in the tender sympathy of 
their Great High Priest, remembering one 
great end for which He descended to the 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


263 


lowly manger was—that in all points He 
might be tempted even as they are. 

Bless our family—we would seek to 
avouch the LORD this day to be our GOD. 
Whatever others do, as for us we will,, serve 
Thee. [Bless our children—let them be 
brothers and sisters of Him who (once the 
lowly child JESUS) is now an exalted 
Elder Brother on the Throne.] 

Give us all that is really good for us—• 
withhold all that is evil; may Thy will be 
our only rule and directory—may we trust 
Thee in everything, and look forward 
with joyful hearts to that better time, when 
we shall be permitted, with a multitude 
which no man can number, to take up the 
song of this day, and ascribe “ glory to 
GOD in the highest,” for that mercy which 
through His own dear Son is to endure for¬ 
ever. All we ask is for His sake. Amen 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , &c* 

14 


!$ni light af tit* gm, 

0 LORD, we adore Thee as the GOD 
of times and seasons, of days and of y ears. 
Thou alone art without any variableness or 
shadow of turning. Thou didst inhabit the 
glories of eternity before the birth of time 
or of worlds. Thou hadst no beginning of 
days;—Thou canst know no end of years. 
Amidst fleeting moments and revolving 
seasons, the past, and present, and future, 
are to Thee one ever-present “Now.” A 
thousand years in Thy sight are but as yes¬ 
terday when it is past, or as a watch in the 
night. It is our comfort to know amid so 
much that is transient in a fleeting world, 
that Thou art the same,—that Thy throne 
has the pillars of immutability to rest upon, 
that though all be changing and hastening 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


265 


to decay and dissolution, Thy dominion 
endureth throughout all generations. 

We desire on this the last day of another 
year to bow at Thy footstool, and to take 
a solemn retrospect of all the year’s mer¬ 
cies. We have indeed good reason this 
night to set up our Ebenezer, and to say 
“the LORD has helped us!” It is a re¬ 
trospect of love. We may well write as 
our motto on its waning hours, “We have 
received at the LORD’S hands double for 
all our sins.” From how many unseen 
dangers hast thou delivered us—from how 
many temptations which we had no strength 
of our own to resist, hast Thou rescued us. 
How many have this last year been wasted 
with sickness or racked with pain, or 
stretched on beds of languishing, yet Thou 
hast mercifully protected us. [How many 
households have been darkened with the 
shadows of death—the hallowed circle 
broken, and the gourds withered—arid 
yet we are still among the living to praise 


266 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


Thee.] How many thousands of our fel¬ 
low-men since the year began have passed 
into eternity—but we, unworthy cumber- 
ers are yet spared!—the axe has not been 
laid to the root of the tree—we are pre¬ 
served another year longer—night after 
night we laid ourselves down and slept 
because the LORD sustained us, and we 
are still the objects of His unceasing watch¬ 
fulness and tender care. 

0 GOD, when we think of Thy great 
mercies what shall we say of the retrospect 
of our past sins ? The record of another 
year is now ascending to Thy Throne; 
alas! it is the record of abused mercies, and 
despised warnings, and misimproved provi¬ 
dences, and lukewarm hearts, and careless, 
thankless lives! Were we to be judged 
by the duties and. doings, the sins and 
shortcomings of any one day of the passing' 
year we would be righteously condemned. 
Oh, ere the record has passed upwards to 
Thy Great Book, do Thou wash out every 


OCCASIONAL PRATERS. 


267 


stain in the blood of Emmanuel. We have 
no hope but in Him. We desire this night 
to hear His own blessed words of consola¬ 
tion and mercy—“Son, daughter, be of 
good cheer, thy sins*are all forgiven Thee.” 
We mourn, 0 GOD, how little we have 
been affected by the manifold proofs of Thy 
kindness. Lead us to repentance. Bring 
us more and more to realize the untold 
depth of obligation under which we are 
laid to Him who hath loved us with an 
everlasting love. We would mourn the 
past and seek for u more grace ” for the 
future. Come LORD and search us and 
try us, and see if there be any wicked way 
in us, and lead us in the way everlasting. 
May the lives which Thou hast during 
another year prolonged and preserved by 
Thy bounty, be willingly consecrated as 
thank-offerings to Thy praise. 

We desire at this time more particularly, 
to commend to Thy Fatherly and good¬ 
ness all in whom we are interested. May 


268 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


our absent friends meet us this night in 
spirit around the Throne of the Heavenly 
grace, severally commending us, as we 
now desire to commend them to Thy care 
and love. Make them the objects of Thy 
providential bounty, and subjects of Thy 
Heavenly grace and kingdom. May they 
too be brought to bewail the sins of the 
past, and' seek for new grace in entering 
on a new period of existence. Oh when 
this rapid flight of years and seasons shall 
have come to an end, may we all be found 
in the regions of everlasting day, to unite 
together in singing the song of Moses and 
the Lamb. 

Compassionate all in affliction—may the 
bereaved be comforted—may the dying be 
prepared for their great change—may the 
living know that they too must die. 

We desire to retire to rest under the 
solemnising impression that we are a year 
nearer eternity—that a year more of our 
probation time is fled—that a year less of 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


269 


grace, and opportunity, and privilege, be¬ 
longs to us. LORD, take the charge of 
us, and if Thou art pleased to spare us to 
see the light of a new day and a new year, 
may it be to us the emblem of a better 
morning and a nobler term of being, when 
earth’s shadows and darkness shall have 
forever fled, and when we shall be satis¬ 
fied, awaking in Thy likeness. And all we 
ask is for the REDEEMER’S sake. Amen, 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord , dec. 


|nsi HJjommtg #f a fUto gm. 

ALMIGHTY AND EVERLASTING 
GOD, Thou art the Alpha and the Omega 
—the First and the Last. Amid all the 
viseissitudes of a changing world, Thou 
changest not. All things below must per¬ 
ish—but Thou remainest the same. 

Thou hast mercifully preserved us to 
see the commencement of another year. 
We desire to begin this new period of our 
existence by consecrating its every hour 
to Thee. Before we enter on its mani¬ 
fold duties, and its unknown trials, we 
beseech Thee to impart to us Thy gracious 
benediction; we would seek to connect its 
coming blessings with Thee—to own Thy 
hand and Thy wisdom in its coming sor¬ 
rows; we would seek to feel that it can 
)nly be to us a hapjpy year by being a holy 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 271 

one—spent in TEy service and devoted to 
Thy praise. 

It is one of the many new years we have 
oeen; we cannot tell how few we may have 
to see. • Our prayer is that we may live 
this year as if it were to be our last, and as 
if the angel of death were now whispering 
in our ears—“Ere the close of it, thy soul 
shall be required of Thee.” 

LORD, we desire to begin the year 
where we would wish to begin and to end 
its every day—at the opened Fountain. 
We desire to take as our motto and super 
scription throughout its course — 11 God 
forbid that we should glory save in the 
Cross of the LORD JESUS CHRIST.” 
We desire to connect this new year’s morn¬ 
ing with the great atoning sacrifice, with • 
out which no years could have revolved to 
us—no blessings been vouchsafed. Our 
every temporal comfort, as well as every 
spiritual blessing, flows to us entirely from 
JESUS. Oh, do Thou enkindle in our 


272 


OCCASIONAL PRATERS. 


hearts this day a flame of *more ardent de¬ 
votedness to Him whose amazing love it is 
that crowneth every year with goodness, 
and makes all its paths to drop fatness. 
Good LORD, we desire this morning to 
make a fresh consecration of ourselves and 
our household unto Thee. Sprinkle our 
lintels with covenant blood. Set Thine 
own seal and mark in our foreheads. If 
in past years there has been forgetfulness 
of Thee—if Thy kindness has been abused, 
and Thy mercies slighted, and Thy name 
dishonored, enable each and all of us to 
make this year one of more undivided sur¬ 
render to Thy service. May it be a new 
year of love, and meekness, and forgive¬ 
ness, and close walking with GOD. May 
sin be more dreaded, and holiness more 
loved. May the lessons of eternity come 
more powerfully and impressively home to 
us. Let us live as immortal beings. Let 
us live a dying life. Let it not be the im 
pression of a solemn anniversary like the 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


273 


present, but an habitual conviction— u The 
fashion of this world passeth away.” 0 
LORD, accept of this our united new year’s 
sacrifice. We would light our flickering 
lamps at Thy holy altar; do Thou plenish 
us day by day with the oil of Thy grace— 
that should any of us be summoned in the 
course of the year to meet our LORD, we 
may not have to make the mournful con* 
fession— u our lamps have gone out.” 

Good LORD, bless all our dear friends; 
we would remember them , as we trust they 
are remembering us this day at Thy foot¬ 
stool. Hear our mutual prayers; may the 
cloud of mercy descend on all our heads. 
Though absent from one another on earth, 
may faith bring us near, by having our 
tents pitched by the gate of heaven. 

Bless our native land; may it ever 
remain a centre of holy influences—distin¬ 
guished by that righteousness which exalt- 
eth a nation. Bless our President, our 
Eulers, our senators, our magistrates. Bless 


2If 1 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 

the ministers of the everlasting Gospel; 
may they be wise to win souls; and may 
every religious privilege we now enjoy be 
handed down unimpaired to the latest pos¬ 
terity. 

GOD of all grace, we commend us to 
Thee: undertake Thou for us. Let the 
pillar of Thy presence go before us. Do 
Thou direct, control, suggest, throughout 
this year all that we design or do—so that 
every power of our bodies, and every fac¬ 
ulty of our souls, may unite for the showing 
forth of Thy praise and glory. And all 
that we ask is for the sake of JESUS, Thine 
only Son, and our SAVIOUR. Amen. 

Our Father , &c . 

The Grace of our Lord , &c* 


Sat s lira* of IfmlJtmtnt. 

0 LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, we rejoice 
to think that “the LORD reigneth!” that 
though Thy way may sometimes seem to 
be in the sea and Thy path in the deep 
waters, and Thy judgments unsearchable, 
yet that nothing can happen by accident 
or chance—but all is the unerring dictate 
of infinite wisdom and unchanging faithful¬ 
ness and love. 

Where would we be at this hour, 0 
GOD, but for the blessed assurance, “ This 
also cometh from the LORD of Hosts,” 
who, though “wonderful in counsel” is 
ever “excellent in working”—often we 
cannot discern through our tears the recti¬ 
tude and love of Thy varied dispensations 
—often are we led to say with trembling 
and misgiving hearts, “verily, Thou art a 


276 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


GOD that hidest Thyself.” But “all is 
well;” we could not wish our concerns in 
better hands than in Thine; may this won¬ 
drous challenge silence and rebuke every 
murmur,—“He that spared not His own 
Son, but delivered Him up to the death for 
us all, how shall he not with Him also freely 
give us all things?” How can He send 
one trial that is unnecessary, or light one 
spark in the furnace that might be spared; 
we will be dumb, we will not open our 
mouths because Thou didst it. Man may 
err, and has often erred; but 0 unerring 
GOD! Thy faithfulness Thou hast estab¬ 
lished in the heavens,—the Judge of all 
the earth must do right. We would seek 
to lie submissive at Thy feet, and say, in 
unmurmuring resignation, “Thy will be 
done.” We “fear to enter into the cloud,” 
—Thou hast afflicted us by terrible things 
in righteousness which we looked not for; 
the desire of our eyes has been taken away 
by a stroke-—the shadows of death have 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


277 


unexpectedly fallen around us! Oli forbid 
that we should rebel under the rod, and 
refuse to be comforted. Let us glorify 
Thee “ in the fireslet us feel that if weare 
Thy children, there is not a drop of wrath 
in that cup of sorrow, but all is love, infi¬ 
nite love. We would see no' hand but 
Thine, u the LORD gave us our blessings, 
and the L ORD has a supreme and inalien¬ 
able right to take them away”—“even so, 
Father, for it seemeth good in Thy sight.” 

Our earnest prayer, blessed GOD, is, 
that this severe trial may be sanctified to 
us all; we have need of such a blow to 
remind us that earth is not our rest. We 
were leaning on the creature—we were dis¬ 
owning and undeifying the Great Creator. 
Thou wouldst not leave us to ourselves, to 
settle on our lees. Thou sawest the need 
of fatherly chastisement to bring back our 
alien and truant hearts to Thyself. Oh 
may we listen to our Father’s voice; may 
we feel it to be a loud voice, and yet full 


278 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


of gentle tenderness; may it rouse witliin 
each of us the question, u What wilt Thou 
have me to do ? May we arise and call 
upon our GOD.” Thus may this very afflic- 
tion, so dark and mysterious, which for the 
present seemeth not to be joyous but 
grievous, nevertheless afterward yield the 
peaceable fruit of righteousness. 

LORD abundantly sanctify this solemn 
dispensation to every member of our 
household,—to all friends and neighbors. 
May the monitory voice sound loudly in 
our ears u Be ye also ready.” It is another 
testimony borne to the truth that u at such 
a time as we think not, the Son of GOD 
may come.” May it be ours ever to live 
in preparation for that solemn event which 
awaits us all. Whatsoever our hand find- 
eth to do, may we do it with our might, 
remembering that there is no work noi i 
device, nor labor, nor repentance in the 
grave whither we are going. 

Sprinkle us all with the blood of JESUS; 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


279 


give us all a saving interest in Him, as the 
Resurrection and the Life. Let us hear 
His voice of encouragement and love, 
sounding amid the stillness of the death- 
chamber, and from the depths of the sepul¬ 
chre, “ Fear not: I am He that liveth and 
was dead, and behold I am alive for ever¬ 
more, and have the keys of the grave and 
of death.” “Yet a little while, and He 
that shall come will come, and will not 
tarrysoon these bitter tears and partings 
of a weeping world will be over ;—death- 
divided friends shall meet, never again to 
know separation. Enable us to look for¬ 
ward to that blessed hope and that glorious 
appearing, when “them also which sleep in 
JESUS will GOD bring with Him.” 

LORD meanwhile descend, and to the 
friendless prove a Friend. 0 Thou Helpei 
of the Helpless, Thou Comforter of all tha * 
are cast down, Thou better and dearer 
than the dearest and best of earthly rela¬ 
tives, give us that grace which Thou hast 


280 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


promised specially in seasons of weakness 1 
may we realize the truth of Thine own pre¬ 
cious promise, “as thy day is, so shall thy 
strength be.” Deep is now calling to deep, 
all Thy waves and thy billows are going 
over us, yet the LORD, will command His 
loving kindness in the day-time, and in the 
night His song shall be with us, and our 
prayer to the GOD of our life. However 
low we may be sunk under the waves and 
billows, the arms of Thy love and uphold¬ 
ing grace are lower still. LORD, may it 
be our sweet experience that the deeper 
we sink, it only brings out more the infinite 
depths of Thy love and mercy. May this 
more than reconcile us to bear all and suffer 
all—“we shall soon be done with earth, 
and be with our GOD, and that forever and 
ever.” 

1 Do Thou hide us meanwhile in the clefts 
of the Smitten Rock, until this and all other 
of earth’s calamities be overpast. May we 
trust Thee where we cannot trace Thee, and 


OCCASIONAL PRATERS. 


281 


wait patiently for the great day of disclos¬ 
ures, when all shall be revealed, and all be 
found redounding to the praise and the 
glory of Thy great name! 

Hear us, blessed GOD, and all that we 
ask is for the sake of Thy dear Son, our 
only LORD and SAYIOUR. Amen 

Our Father , &c. 

The Grace of our Lord ,, da 


$rapr to be itstb bn a Jfarailj betaincb fnrnt 
fttblie Mttrsliijj. 

ALMIGHTY AND EVERLASTING 
GOD, Thou art glorious in holiness, fear¬ 
ful in praises, continually doing wonders. 
Thy Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, 
Thy dominion endureth throughout all 
generations. Amid all the changes and 
vicissitudes of a changing world, Thou the 
LORD changest not. Thou art the same, 
and Thy years shall have no end. 

We desire to bless and praise Thy holy 
name for the return of another day of the 
Son of man. This is the day which the 
LORD hath made, we will rejoice and be 
glad in it. Do Thou go forth everywhere* 
with the preaching of the everlasting 
Gospel. Clothe Thy priests with salvation. 
Let Thy saints shout aloud for joy. May the 




OCCASIONAL PRATERS, 


283 


assemblies of Thy people be enabled to wor¬ 
ship Thee in the beauties of holiness, and 
feel it to be good for them to draw near 
unto GOD. It is our comfort to know that 
Thou are not confined to Temples made 
with hands;—that wherever there is a true 
worshipper, there is a prayer-hearing GOD. 
0 Thou GOD of Bethel—GOD of our 
Fathers, and the covenant GOD of all who 
truly fear Thee, do Thou look down in kind¬ 
ness on us who are prevented this day by 
the restraints of Thy Providence, from join¬ 
ing with our fellow-christians in the public 
services of the sanctuary. It is not to num¬ 
bers Thou lookest:—wherever two or three 
are gathered together in Thy name, we 
have Thine own recorded promise that 
there Thou wilt be in the midst of them to 
bless them and to do them good. Though 
Thou lovest the gates of Zion, Thou art not 
forgetful of the dwellings of Jacob. Thou 
hast said that Thou wilt create upon every 
dwelling-place of Mount Zion, as well aa 


284 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


upon her assemblies, a cloud of smoke by 
day arid the shining of a flaming fire by 
night;—0 let the pillar of Thy promised 
presence go before us; may we feel like Thy 
disciples of old when the voices of heavenly 
messengers on the mount were silenced— 
that we are u alone with Jesus.” Gracious 
SAVIOUR! abide Thou with us; we are 
independent of all ordinances if we have 
Thee—it is Thy presence and love which 
gives a blessing to all outward means of 
grace; Thy most hallowed altar, is the altar 
of a humble, lowly, contrite heart; Thy most 
acceptable sacrifice, is the incense of grate¬ 
ful love—of devoted, obedient, submissive 
lives. Oh, Thou Great Angel of the ever¬ 
lasting covenant, do Thou sprinkle these our 
unworthy prayers and services with the in¬ 
cense of Thy spotless merits, that thus, worth¬ 
less and polluted in themselves, they may 
be made acceptable in the sight of GOD. 

LORD, may every returning Sabbath be 
finding us better prepared for the eternal 


OCCASIONAL PHAYEBS. 


285 


Sabbath. May oin be dying within ns. 
May we be progressively advancing in the 
divine life. May we be abounding in faith 
and hope, and love; seeking by Thy grace 
to walk in newness of life—more humbly, 
more consistently, more prayerfully. May 
we live as dying creatures. May all the 
solemn events that are taking place among 
ourselves and around us, be so many voices 
proclaiming, ‘‘Arise and depart ye, for this 
is not your rest.” LORD, break the world’s 
alluring spell; strip it of its vain fascinations; 
let the “seen and the temporal” be more 
subordinated to the “ unseen and eternal;” 
—may we give evidence to all, that we are 
living under the power and influence of Gos¬ 
pel principles and renewed affections. May 
we be meek and gentle—patient and for¬ 
bearing—thankful and resigned. And even 
though trial and sorrow should at times be 
ou r allotted portion, mav we seek to show 
that the srrace of GOD can impart an inner 
sunshine, which no outward darkness can 
obscure 


286 ' 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


Do Thou look down in mercy on all out 
dear friends;—may they too see the good 
of Thy chosen and glory with Thine inheri¬ 
tance;—may the fragrance of this day’s 
services follow them all throughout the 
week;—may they have the increasing ex¬ 
perience that the way of holiness is the 
way of happiness. 

Bless all Thy missionary servants. Give 
them a double portion of Thy Spirit.— 
May it be their privilege this day, to gather 
in some sheaves of the great gospel harvest. 
—May the LORD of the harvest stand by 
them to strengthen them; should they 
now only be sowing in tears, may it be 
theirs at last to reap in joy. 

And now LORD, what wait we for? 
Our hope for ourselves, and for all near 
and dear to us, is in Thee. Hear us for the 
sake of Him whom Thou hearest always, 
and in whose most precious name and 
words we would further pray, saying—- 

Our Father , &c . 


fur mu in ganprjofus Illness. • 

0 GOD, our Heavenly Father, in Thee 
we live, and move, and have our being. 
We rejoice to think that Thy hand is never 
shortened that it cannot save—that Thine 
ear is never heavy that it cannot hear. 
We rejoice to think of Thine own recorded 
promise, that the prayer of faith, if con¬ 
sistent with Thy blessed will, will save the 
sick. We entreat Thee to look down in 
great mercy on that member of our family 
who is this [day] laid on a bed of languish¬ 
ing. May it please Thee of Thine infinite 
goodness speedily to restore [him.] Do 
Thou rebuke [his] disease. Bring [him] 
back from the gates of the grave. May 
this sickness not be unto death, but for the 
glory of GOD, that the Son of GOD may 
be glorified thereby. Mitigate the severity 


288 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


of pain. Grant [him] patience under [his] 
sufferings, unmurmuring submission to the 
will of Him who afflicteth not willingly. 
His times are in Thy hands. We com¬ 
mend [him] soul and body to Thee, the 
Great Physician. If Thou seest meet to 
raise [him] up, may restored health and 
strength be more than ever given unto 
Thee, but if Thou hast otherwise deter¬ 
mined, do Thou fit [him] for [his] eternal 
change. To [him] to live may it be 
CHRIST—to [him] to die may it be great 
gain. 


gtagtr to to mb at % §ttoito 0f a $ging 
idutor* 


EVER BLESSED GOD, we rejoice to 
know that our times are in Thy hands. 
The LORD gives ns onr lives—the LORD 
has a sovereign right to take them away. 
Give us grace to say, Blessed be the name 
of the LORD! Do Thou look down in 
great mercy on Thy servant, whom Thou 
art about to take to Thyself. Let [him] 
know that leaning on JESUS the sting is 
plucked away from death, and the grave 
is robbed of its victory. Oh, Thou ever- 
living Redeemer, Thou great “Abolisher of 
Death,” who has brought life and immor¬ 
tality to light by the Gospel, smooth this 
dying pillow—let Thy voice be heard, say¬ 
ing, “ Fear not, it is I; be not afraid!” 
Mitigate the severity of pain. Give [him] 
19 


200 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


a peaceful entrance into glory: may Thine 
angels even now be waiting to waft [liim] 
to Thy presence—may [he] know that 
Thou art faithful who hast promised, “ Lo, 
I am with you alway, even unto the end 
of the world!” forgive, oh, forgive all 
[his] past sins. May this be the one 
glorious truth to which [his] soul clings 
in a dying hour— u The blood of JESUS 
CHRIST, GOD’S Son, cleanseth from all 
sin.” LORD, may Thine own blessed 
soul-sustaining peace be [his] ;—a few 
more moments and [he] will wake up in 
heaven—sorrow and sighing shall have fled 
away forever. May [he] even desire to 
depart and to be with CHRIST, and feel 
this to be indeed far better. Hear us, 
good LORD, for JESUS’ sake. Amen 

“And I heard a voice from heaven, 
saying unto me, write, Blessed are the 
dead which die in the LORD: from hence, 
yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 291 

from their labors; and their works do 
follow them.” 

“In my Father’s house there are many 
mansions; if it were not so I would have 
told you. I go and prepare a place for 
you; and if I go to prepare a place for 
you, I will come again and receive you 
unto myself, that where I am there ye may 
be also.” 

“Yea, though I walk through the valley 
of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, 
for Thou art with me, Thy rod and Thy 
staff they comfort me.” 

“ For we know that if our earthly house 
of this tabernacle be dissolved, we have a 
building of GOD, a house not made with 
hands, eternal in the heavens.” 

“ And one of the elders answered, say¬ 
ing unto me, What are these which are 
arrayed in white robes ? and whence came 
they? And I said unto him, Sir, Thou 
knowest. And he said to me, These are 
they which came out of great tribulation, 


292 


OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. 


and have washed their robes, and made 
them white in the blood of the Lamb. 
Therefore are they before the throne oi 
G OD, and serve him day and night in his 
temple: and He that sitteth on the throne 
shall dwell among them. They shall hun¬ 
ger no more, neither thirst any more; 
neither shall the sun light on them, nor 
any heat. For the lamb which is in the 
midst of the throne shall feed them, and 
shall lead them unto living fountains of 
waters: and God shall wipe wav all teara 
from their eyes.” 


THE 
































■ 
































It has often been felt a delightful exercise by 
the child of God, to take, night by night, ai 
individual promise, and plead it at the mercy 
seat. Often are our prayers pointless , from not 
following in this respect the example of the 
$weet psalmist of Israel, the royal promise- 
pieader, who delighted to direct his finger to 
some particular u word” of the faithful Promise, 
saying, “ Remember thy word unto thy servant, 
on which thou hast caused me to hope.” 

The following are a few gleanings from the 
promise-treasury, a few crumbs from the Mas¬ 
ter’s table, which may serve to help the thoughts 
in the hour of closet meditation or the season 
of sorrow. 

St. M-, December, 1849. 


1 * 






TIE8T DAT. 


f a: r ironing <8mt. 

u Come now, and let ns reason together, saith the Lord 
Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as 
mow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as 
wool.”— Isaiah, i. 18. 

My soul, thy God summons thee to his 
audience-chamber. Infinite purity seeks 
to reason with infinite vileness. Deity 
stoops to speak to dust. Dread not the 
meeting. It is the most gracious, as well 
as wondrous of all conferences. Jehovah 
himself breaks silence. He utters the best 
tidings a lost soul or a lost world can hear : 
(< God is in Christ reconciling the world 
unto himself, not imputing unto men their 
trespasses.” What! scarlet sins and crim¬ 
son sins; and these all to be forgiven and 
forgotten ? The just God u justifying” the 
unjust—the mightiest of all beings the 


10 


THE FAITHFUL PROMISEE. 


kindest of all. 0, what is there in thee to 
merit such love as this? Thou mightest 
have known thy God only as the “ com 
Burning fire,” and had nothing before thee 
cave “a fearful looking for of vengeance.’ 
This gracious conference bids thee dispel 
thy fears. It tells thee, it is no longer a 
“ fearful,” but a blessed thing to be in His 
hands. Hast thou closed with these his 
overtures ? Until thou art at peace with 
Him, happiness must be a stranger to thy 
bosom. Though thou hast all else besides, 
bereft of God thou must be “bereft in¬ 
deed.” 

Lord, I come. As thy pardoning grace 
is freely tendered, so shall I freely accept 
it. May it be mine, even now, to listen to 
the gladdening accents, Son, Daughter, be 
of good cheer; thy sins which are many 
are all forgiven thee ! 

( Remember this word unto thy servant, upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope." 


SECOND DAT. 


gltnMttl dm*. 

'Ab thy days, so shall thy strength be.”—D eut. jorni 25. 

God does not give grace till tlie hour 
of trial comes. But when it does come, the 
amount of grace and the special grace re¬ 
quired is vouchsafed. My soul, do not 
dwell with painful apprehension on the fu 
ture. Bo not anticipate coming sorrows, 
perplexing thyself about the grace needed 
for future emergencies: to-morrow will 
bring its promised grace along with to¬ 
morrow’s trials, God, wishing to keep his 
people humble and dependent on himself, 
gives not a stock of grace; He metes it 
out for every day’s exigencies, that the) 
may be constantly travelling between their 
own emptiness and Christ’s fulness—their 
own weakness and Christ’s strength. But 


12 • THE FAITHFUL PROMISEE. 

when the exigency comes, thou mayest 
safely trust an almighty arm to bear thee 
through. 

Is there now some “ thorn in the flesh” 
sent to lacerate thee ? Thou mayest have 
been entreating the Lord for its removal. 
Thy prayer has doubtless been heard and 
answered; but not in the way perhaps 
expected or desired by thee. The 11 thorn” 
may still be left to goad, the trial may still 
be left to buffet, but “more grace” has 
been given to endure them. 0, how often 
have his people thus been led to glory in 
their infirmities and triumph in their afflic¬ 
tions, seeing the power of Christ rests 
more abundantly upon them. The strength 
which the hour of trial brings, often makes 
the Christian a wonder to himself. 


Remember this word unto thy servant, upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope ” 


THIRD DAY. 


JJl-gMfmttt irate. 

‘God ie able to make all grace abound toward you; that 
ye always having all-sufficiency in all things, may abound 
to every good work.”—2 Coe. ix. 8. 

“All-sufficiency in all things!”* Be¬ 
liever, surely thou art “thoroughly fur¬ 
nished.” Grace is no scanty thing, doled 
out in pittances. It is a glorious treasury, 
which the key of prayer can always un¬ 
lock, but never empty. A fountain, u full 
flowing, ever flowing, overflowing.” Marls 
these three alls in this precious promise. 
It is a threefold link in a golden chain, let 
down from a throne of grace by a God of 
grace. u All grace”— H all-sufficiency” in 
“ all things!” and these to “abound.” 0, 
precious thought! My wants cannot im¬ 
poverish that inexhaustible treasury of 

grace. Myriads are hourly hanging on it. 

2 


14 


THE FAITHFUL PROMISER. 


and drawing from it, and jet there is no 
diminution. Out of that fulness all we too 
may receive, and grace for grace. Mj 
soul, dost not thou love to dwell on that 
all-abounding grace? Thine own insuffi¬ 
ciency in everything, met with an u all- 
sufficiency in all things.” Grace in all cir¬ 
cumstances and situations, in all vicissi¬ 
tudes and changes, in all the varied 
phases of the Christian’s being. Grace in 
sunshine and storm, in health and in sick¬ 
ness, in life and in death. Grace for the 
old believer, and the young believer, the 
tried believer and the weak believer and 
the tempted believer. Grace for duty, 
and grace in duty; grace to carry the 
joyous cup with a steady hand ; grace to 
drink the bitter cup with an unmurmuring 
spirit; grace to have prosperity sanctified; 
grace to say, through tears, u Thy will be 
done.” 


“ Remember this word unto thy servant upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope ' 1 


FOCRTH DAT. 


Cxrmfxrrtiixtf (irate. 

“I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you 
John, xiv. 18. 

Blessed Jesus, how thy presence sane* 
tifies trial, takes loneliness from the cham¬ 
ber of sickness, and gloom from the cham¬ 
ber of death ! Bright and Morning Star, 
precious at all times, thou art never so 
precious as in “ the dark and cloudy day.” 
The bitterness of sorrow is well worth en¬ 
during, to have thy promised consolations. 
How well qualified, thou Man of sorrows, 
to be my Comforter ! How well fitted to 
dry my tears, thou who didst shed so many 
thyself! What are my tears, my sorrows, 
my crosses, my losses, compared with thine, 
who didst shed first thy tears, and then thy 
blood for me? Mine are all deserved, and 


16 THE FAITHFUL PROMISEE. 

are infinitely less than have been merited 
How different, 0 spotless Lamb of God, 
those pangs which rent thy guiltless 
bosom! 

How sweet those comforts thou hast 
promised to the comfortless, when I think 
of them as flowing from an almighty Fellow- 
sufferer — u a brother born for adversity” 
—the “ Friend that sticketh closer than a 
brother!” one who can say, with all the 
refined sympathies of a holy, exalted hu¬ 
man nature, u I know your sorrows.” 

My soul, calm thy griefs. There is not 
a sorrow thou canst experience, but Jesua 
in the treasury of grace, has an exact cor¬ 
responding solace. In the multitude of the 
sorrows I have in my heart, u thy comforts 
delight my soul.” 


Remember this word unto thy servant , upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope? 


FIFTH DAT 


Restraining irate. 


•'Satan hath desired to have yon, that he may sift yon u 
wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not" 
—Luke, xxii. 31, 32. 

What a scene does this unfold! Satan 
tempting, Jesus praying; Satan sifting, 
Jesus pleading; the strong man assailing, 
the stronger than the strong beating him 
back. 

Believer, here is the past history and 
present secret of thy safety in the midst of 
temptation. An interceding Saviour was 
at thy side, saying to every threatening 
wave, “ Thus far shalt thou come, and no 
farther.” God often permits his people to 
be on the very verge of the precipice, to 
remind them of their own weakness; but 
never further than the verge. The re¬ 
straining hand and grace of Omnipotence 
2 * 


18 THE FAITHFUL PROMISEE. 

is ready to rescue £hem. u Though, he 
fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;” 
and why not? “for the Lord upholdeth 
him with his hand.” The wolf may be 
prowling for his prey; but what can he 
do when the Shepherd is always there, 
tending with the Watchful eye that “neither 
slumbers nor sleeps ?” 

What believer cannot subscribe to the 
testimony, “ When my foot slipped, thy 
mercy, 0 Lord, help me up?” Who can 
look back on his past pilgrimage, and fail 
to see it crowded with Ebenezers with this 
inscription, “ Thou hast delivered my soul 
from death, mine eyes from tears, and my 
feet from falling ?” My soul, where wouldst 
thou have been this day, hadst thou not 
been “ kept” by the power of God? 


Remember this word unto thy servant , upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope' 


SIXTH DAY, 


gitstfl'ring iratt. 

M I will heal their backsliding.”—II osea xiv. 4 

Wandering again! And has He not 
left me to perish ? Stumbling and stray¬ 
ing on the dark mountains, away from 
the Shepherd’s eye and the Shepherd’s 
fold, shall He not leave the erring wan¬ 
derer to the fruit of his own ways, and his 
truant heart to go hopelessly onward in its 
career of guilty estrangement ? “ My 

thoughts,” says God, “ are not as your 
thoughts, neither are your ways as my 
ways.” Man would say, u Go, perish, un 
grateful apostate.” God says, “Return, 
ye backsliding children.” The Shepherd 
will not, cannot suffer the sheep to perish 
he has purchased with his own blood. 
How wondrous his forbearance towards it; 


20 


THE FAITHFUL PROMISER. 


tracking its guilty steps, and ceasing not 
the pursuit till he lays the wanderer on his 
shoulders, and returns with it to his fold 
rejoicing. 

My soul, why increase by further depart¬ 
ures thine own distance from the fold? 
Why lengthen the dreary road thy gra¬ 
cious Shepherd has to traverse in bringing 
thee back? Delay not thy return. Pro¬ 
voke no longer his patience; venture no 
further on forbidden ground. He waits 
with outstretched arms to welcome thee 
once more to his bosom. Be humble for 
the past; trust him for the future. Think 
of thy former backslidings, and tremble; 
think of his forbearance and be filled with 
holy gratitude; think of his promised 
grace, and take courage. 

Remember this word unto thy servant , upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope” 


8EVENTH DAT. 


jSaiutifjitt)} irate. 

“He that hath begun a good work in you, -will perform it 
until the day of Jesus Christ.” —Phil. i. 6. 

Reader, is the good work begun in 
thee? Art thou becoming holy? Is sin 
more and more crucified? Are thy 
heart’s idols one by one abolished? Is 
the world less to thee, and eternity more 
to thee ? Is more of thy Saviour’s image 
impressed on thy character, and thy Sav¬ 
iour’s love more enthroned in thy heart ? 
Is salvation to thee more the one thing 
needful ? 0 take heed; there can be no 

middle ground, no standing still: or if it 
be so with thee, thy position must be a 
false one. The Saviour’s blood is not more 
necessary to give thee a title to heaven, 
than his spirit to give thee a meetness for 


22 


THE FAITHFUL PROMISER. 


it. “ If any man have not tlie spirit of 
Christ, he is none of his .” 

u Onwards,” should be thy motto. There 
is no standing still in the life of faith. 
“The man,” says Augustine, “who says, 
'Enough,' that man’s soul is lost.” Let this 
be the superscription in all thy ways and 
doings, “Holiness to the Lord.” Let the 
monitory word exercise over thee its hab¬ 
itual power, “ Without holiness no man 
shall see the Lord.” 

Moreover, remember that to be holy, is 
to be happy. The two are convertible 
terms. Holiness! It is the secret and 
spring of the joy of angels; and the more 
of holiness attained on earth—the nearer 
and closer my walk is with God, the more 
of a sweet earnest shall I have of the bliss 
that awaits me in a holy heaven. 0, my 
soul, let it be thy sacred ambition to “be 
holy.” 

“Remember this word unto thy servant , upon whic\ 
thou has caused me to hope” 


EIGHTH DAY. 


lUHtoittg <®mt. 

“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength 
they shall mount up with wings, as eagles; they shall run, 
and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”— 
Isaiah, xl. 31. 

“Wilt thou not revive us, 0 Lord?” 
My soul, art thou conscious of thy declin¬ 
ing state? Is thy walk less with God— 
thy frame less heavenly ? Hast thou less 
conscious nearness to the mercy-seat—di 
minished communion with the Saviour? 
Is prayer less a privilege than it has been; 
the pulsations of spiritual life more languid 
and fitful and spasmodic ; the bread of life 
less relished; the seen and the temporal 
and the tangible displacing the unseen and 
the eternal ? Art thou sinking down into 
this state of drowsy self contentment, this 
conformity-life with the world, forfeiting 


24 THE FAITHFUL PROMISEE. 

all the happiness of true religion, and risk¬ 
ing and endangering the better life to 
come? 

Arise, call upon thy God. “ Wilt thou 
not revive us, 0 Lord ?” He might have 
returned nothing but the withering re¬ 
pulse, u How often would I have gathered 
thee, but thou wouldst not!” “Ephraim 
is joined to his idols; let him alone.” But 
u In wrath He remembers mercy.” u They 
shall revive as the corn.” “The mouth of 
the Lord hath spoken it.” 

How and where is reviving grace to be 
found? He gives thee in His precious 
promise the key. It is on thy knees —by a 
return to thy deserted and unfrequented 
chamber, “ They that wait ujpon the Lord .” 
“Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, 
and He shall strengthen thy heart; wait, I 
say, on the Lord.” 


“Remember this word unto thy servant , upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope" 


»INTH DAT. 


ftmijuittg §xut. 


’The righteous also shall hold on his way.”— Job, zrii. 9. 

Reader, how comforting to thee, amid 
the ebbings and flowings of thy changing 
history, to know that the change is all with 
thee, and not with thy God. Thy spiritual 
bark may be tossed on the waves of tempt¬ 
ation, in many a dark midnight. Thou 
mayest think thy pilot hath left thee, and 
be ready continually to say, u Where is my 
God?” But fear not. The bark which 
bears thy spiritual destinies is in better 
hands than thine; a golden chain of cove¬ 
nant love links it to the eternal throne. 
That chain can never snap asunder. lie 
who holds it in his hand gives thee this a3 
the pledge of your safety: l * Because I live 
ye shall live also.” 


3 


26 


THE FAITHFUL PROMISER. 


“ Why art thou then cast down, 0 my 
soul; and why art thou disquieted within 
me? hope thou in God” Thou wilt assur¬ 
edly ride out these stormy surges, and 
reach the desired haven. 

But be faithful with thyself. See that 
there be nothing to hinder or impede thy 
growth in grace. Think how little may 
retard thy progress. One sin indulged, 
one temptation tampered with, one bosom 
traitor, may cost thee many a bitter hour 
and bitter tear, by separating between thee 
and thy God. Make it thy daily prayer, 
“ Search me, 0 God, and know my heart; 
try me and know my thoughts; and see if 
there be any wicked way in me, and lead 
me in the way everlasting.” 


“ Remember this word unto thy servant !,, upon tokuh 
thou hast caused me to hope? 


SENXH DAT. 


$ging Gxttt. 

M I fea-ve the keys of hell and of death.”—R ev. i. 18 

And from whom could dying grace come 
bo welcome, as from thee, 0 blessed Jesus? 
Not only is thy name u The Abolisher of 
Death,” but thou didst thyself die. Thou 
hast sanctified the grave by thine own pres¬ 
ence, and divested it of all its terrors. 

My soul, art thou at times afraid of this, 
thy last enemy ? If the rest of thy pilgrim¬ 
age be peaceful and unclouded, rests there 
a dark and portentous shadow over the 
terminating portals ? Fear not. When 
that dismal entrance is reached, He who 
has the keys of the grave and of death sus¬ 
pended at his golden girdle, will impart 
grace to bear thee through. It is the mes¬ 
senger of peace. Thy Saviour calls thee. 


28 the faithful promisee. 

The promptings of nature when at first 
thou seest the darkening wave, may be like 
those of the affrighted disciples when they 
said, u It is a spirit!” and cried out for fear. 

But a gentle voice will be heard high 
above the storm, u It is I; be not afraid.” 
Death, indeed, as the wages of sin must 
even by the believer be regarded as an 
enemy. But 0, blessed thought, it is thy 
last enemy—the cause of thy last tear. In 
a few brief moments after that tear is shed, 
thy God will be wiping every vestige of it 
away. “ 0 Death, where is thy sting? 0 
grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be 
unto God, who giveth us the victory 
through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Welcome, 
vanquished foe! Birthday of heaven. u To 
die is gain.” 


Remember this word unto iky servant, upon wkich 
thou hast caused me to hope" 


ELEVENTH DA? 


$fter <Smt, ilirra. 

* The Lord will grace and glory.”— Psa. lxxxiv. 11. 

O, happy day, when this toilsome war¬ 
fare will all be ended, Jordan crossed, Ca¬ 
naan entered, the legion-enemies of tho 
wilderness no longer dreaded; sorrow, 
sighing, death, and, worst of all, sin no 
more either to be felt or feared. 

Here is the terminating link in the 
golden chain of the everlasting covenant. 
It began with grace ; it ends with glory. 
It began with sovereign grace in a bypast 
eternity, and no link will be wanting till 
the ransomed spirit be presented faultless 
before the throne. 

Grace and glory! If the earnest be 
sweet, what must be the reality ? If the 

wilderness table contain such rich provision, 

3 * 


30 the faithful promiser. 

what must be the glories of the eternal 
banqueting-house ? 0, my soul, make sure 

of thine interest in the cne, as the blessed 
r prelude to the other. Having access by 
faith into this grace, thou canst “rejoice in 
hope of the glory of God; for whom he 
justifies, them he also glorifies. Has grace 
begun in thee ? Canst thou mark—though 
it should be but the drops of the incipient 
rill which is to terminate in such an ocean 
■—the tiny grains which are to accumulate 
and issue in such an “ exceeding weight of 
glory ?” Delay not the momentous ques¬ 
tion. The day of offered grace is on the 
wing, its hours are fast numbering; and 
“ no grace, no glory.” 


Hemember this word unto thy servant , upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope” 


IW ELFTH DAT. 


H 1 will pray the Father, and he shall give you anothef 
Comforter, that lie may abide with you forever.”— John, 
xiv. 16. 

Blessed Spirit of all grace, how oft have 
I grieved thee—resisted thy dealings, 
quenched thy strivings; and yet art thou 
still pleading with me. 0, let me realize 
more than I do, my need of thy gracious 
influences. Ordinances, sermons, com¬ 
munions, providential dispensations, are 
nothing without thy life-giving power. 
“It is the Spirit that quickeneth.” “No 
man can call Jesus, Lord, but by the Holy 
Ghost.” 

Church of the living God, is not this one 
cause of thy deadness ?” My soul, is not 
this the secret of thy languishing frames, 
repeated declensions, uneven walk, and 


32 


THE FAITHFUL PROMISEE. 


sudden falls, that the influences of the Holy 
Ghost are undervalued and unsought? 
Pray for the outpouring of this blessed 
Agent for the world’s renovation, and thine 
own. “ I will pour out my Spirit on all 
flesh,” is the precursor of millennial bliss. 

Jesus, draw near in thy mercy to this 
torpid heart, as thou didst of old to thy 
mourning disciples, and breathe upon it, 
and say, “ Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” 
It is the mightiest of all boons; but, like 
the sun in the heavens, it is the freest of 
all. “For if ye, being evil, know how to 
give good gifts unto your children, how 
much more shall your Father in heaven 
give the Holy Spirit unto them that ask 
him?” 

u Remember this word unto thy servant, upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope” ' 


THIRTEENTH DAT. 


$rfffoifotntial (©founding. 

“All things work together for good to them that love God, 
-o them that are the called according to his purpose.”— Rom. 
viii. 28 . 

My soul, be still; thou art in the hands 
of thy covenant God. Were these strange 
viscissitudes in thy history the result of 
accident or chance, thou mightest well be 
overwhelmed; but “ all things ,” and this 
thing, be it what it may, which may be 
now disquieting thee, is one of these “ all 
things ” that are working mysteriously for 
thy good. Trust thy God. He will not 
deceive thee; thy interests are with him 
in safe custody, When sight says, “All 
these things are against me,” let faith re¬ 
buke the hasty conclusion, and say, “ Shall 
not the Judge of all the earth do right ?” 
How often does God hedge up our way 


34 


THE FAITHFUL PROMISER 


with thorns, to elicit simple trust. How 
seldom can we see all things so working 
for bur good. But it is better discipline 
to believe it. 0, for faith amid frowning 
providences to say, “I know that thy judg¬ 
ments are good;” and, relying in the dark, 
to exclaim, “ Though he slay me, yet will 
I trust in him.” Blessed Jesus, to thee are 
committed the reins of this universal em¬ 
pire. The same hand that was once nailed 
to the cross, is now wielding the sceptre 
on the throne—“all power” given unto 
thee in heaven and in earth. How can I 
doubt the wisdom, and faithfulness, and 
love of the most mysterious earthly deal¬ 
ing, when I know that the roll of provi¬ 
dence is thus in the hands of Him who has 
given the mightiest pledge omnipotence 
could give of his tender interest in my soul’a 
well-being, by giving himself for me ? 


"Remember this word unto thy servant , upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope 


FOURTEENTH SAT. 


Safi 88 s 1 ft i n j. 

“ All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth untt snot 
as keep his covenant and his testimonies.”— Psalm xxv. 10. 

The paths of the Lord! My soul, never 
follow thine own paths. If thou dost so, 
thou wilt be in danger often of following 
sight rather than faith—choosing the evil, 
and refusing the good. B.ut u commit thy 
way unto the Lord, and he shall bring it to 
pass.” Let this be thy prayer, u Show me 
thy ways, 0 Lord; teach me thy paths.’ 7 
0, for Caleb’s spirit, u wholly to follow the 
Lord my God”—to follow him when self 
must be sacrificed, and hardships must be 
borne, and trials await me—to “ walk with 
God,” to ask in simple faith, “ What wouldst 
thou have me to do?” to have no will of 
my own, save this, that God’s will is to be 


36 


THE FAITHFUL PROMISEE. 


my will. Here is safety, here is happiness 
Fearlessly follow the guiding Pillar. He 
will lead you by a right way, though it 
may be a way of hardship, and crosses, and 
losses, and privations, to the city of habita¬ 
tion. 0, the blessedness of thus lying 
passive in the hands of God; saying, “ Un¬ 
dertake thou for medwelling with holy 
gratitude on past mercies and interpositions; 
taking these as pledges of future faithful¬ 
ness and love ; hearing his voice behind 
us, amid life’s manifold perplexities, ex¬ 
claiming, u This is the way; walk ye in it.” 
Happy, surely, are every people who are 
in such a case. Happy, reader, will it be 
for thee if thou canst form the resolve in a 
strength greater than thine own, u This 
God shall be my God forever and ever; 
he shall be my guide even unto death.” 


44 Remember this u'ord unto thy servant, upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope? 


F1FTEEHTH DAY. 


in G&astistraiKi. 


"Aa many as I love I rebuke and chasten.”—R ev. iil 18. 

Sorrowing believer, what couldst thou 
wish more than this ? Thy furnace is se¬ 
vere ; but look at this assurance of him 
who lighted it. Love is the fuel that feeds 
its flames. Its every spark is love; kindled 
by a Father’s hand, and designed as a spe¬ 
cial pledge of a Father’s love. How many 
of his dear children has he so rebuked and 
chastened; and all, all for one reason, 1 
love them. The myriads in glory have 
passed through these furnace-fires; there 
they were chosen —there they were puri¬ 
fied, sanctified, and made “vessels meet 
for the Master’s usethe dross and the 
alloy purged, that the pure metal might 

remain. And art thou to claim exemption 
4 


83 THE faithful promiser. 

from the same discipline? Art thou to 
think it strange, concerning these same 
fiery trials that may be trying thee, 
Rather exult in them as thine adoption- 
privilege. Envy not those who are stran¬ 
gers to the refining flames, who are “ with¬ 
out chastisement;” rather surely the se¬ 
verest discipline, with a Father's love , than 
the fullest earthly cup, without that Fa¬ 
ther’s smile. 0, for grace to say, when 
the furnace is hottest and the rod sorest, 
“Even so, Father .” And what, after all, 
is the severest of thy chastisements, in com¬ 
parison with what thy sins have deserved ? 
Dost thou murmur under a Father’s cor¬ 
recting love ? What would it have been 
to have stood the wrath of an unpropitiated 
Judge, and that too forever f Surely, in 
the light of eternity, the heaviest pang of 
earth is indeed a “light affliction.” 


“ Remember this word unto thy servant , upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope .” 


SIXTEENTH DAT 


Ji Cjffniriti0n in dlrasimram. 

“If need be.”—1 Petek, i. 6. 

Three gracious words. Not one of all 
my tears shed for naught. Not one stroke 
of the rod unneeded, or that might have 
been spared. Thy heavenly Father loves 
thee too much and too tenderly, to bestow 
harsher correction than thy case requires. 
Is it loss of health, or loss of wealth, or loss 
of beloved friends ? Be still—there was a 
need be. We are no judges of what that 
“need be” is; often through aching hearts 
we are forced to exclaim, “Thy judgments 
are a great deep.” But God here pledges 
himself, that there will not be one redun- j 
dant thorn in the believer’s chaplet of suf¬ 
fering. No burden too heavy will be laid 
on him, aud no sacrifice too great exacted 


40 THE FAITHFUL PROMISER. 

from him. He will “ temper the wind tc 
the shorn lamb.” Whenever the “need 
be” has accomplished its end, then the rod v 
• is removed, the chastisement suspended, 
the furnace quenched. 

“If need be!” . 0, what a pillow on 
which to rest thy aching head—that there 
is not a drop in all thy bitter cup but what 
a God of love saw to be absolutely neces¬ 
sary. Wilt thou not trust him, even though 
thou canst not trace the mystery of his 
dealings ? Not too curiously prying into 
the “why it is,” or “ how it is,” but satisfied 
that “so it is,” and therefore that all must 
be well. “Although thou sayest thou canst 
not see him, yet judgment is before him; 
therefore trust thou in him.” 


Remember this word unto thy servant , upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope 


SEVENTEENTH DAT 


Stmjjift tff itsi. 

" A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking fl ax shall 
he not quench.”—M att. xiii. 20. 

Will Jesus accept such a heart as mi no 
—this erring, treacherous, traitor heart ? 
The past : how many forgotten vows, 
broken covenants, prayerless days! How 
often have I made new resolutions; and as 
often has the reed succumbed to the first 
blast of temptation, and the burning flax 
been well-nigh quenched by guilty omis¬ 
sions, and guiltier commissions. 0, my 
soul, thou art low indeed; the things that 
remain seem 11 ready to die.” But thy Sa¬ 
viour God will not give thee over unto 
death. The reed is bruised; but He will 
not pluck it up by the roots. The flax is 

reduced to a smoking ember; but He will 
4 * 


42 THE FAITHFUL PROMISER. 

fan the decaying flame. Why wound thy 
loving Saviour’s heart by these repeated 
declension ? He will not, cannot give thee 
up. Go, mourn thy weakness and unbe¬ 
lief. Cry unto the strong for strength. 
Weary and faint one, thou hast an om¬ 
nipotent arm to lean on. “ He fainteth 
not, neither is weary.” Listen to his own 
gracious assurance, “Fear not; for I am 
with thee. Be not dismayed; for I am 
thy God. I will strengthen thee; yea, I 
will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee 
with the right hand of my righteousness.” 
Leaving all thy false props and refuges, be 
this thy resolve, u In the Lord put I my 
trust; why say ye to my soul, Flee as a 
bird to your mountain ?” 


u Remember this word unto thy servant, upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope," 


EIGHTEENTH DAY. 


ferantgemfitt to ilrt 

" Him that cometh to me, I will in nowise cast ouC'— 
John, vi. Bl. 

“ Cast out!” My soul, how oft might 
this have been thy history? Thou hast 
cast off thy God; might he not oft have 
“cast out” thee? Yes, cast thee out as 
fuel for the fire of his wrath—a sapless, 
fruitless cumberer. And yet, notwithstand¬ 
ing all thy ungrateful requital for his un¬ 
merited forbearance, he is still declaring, 
“ As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleas¬ 
ure in the death of him that dieth.” Thy 
sins may be legion-like; the sand of the 
sea may be their befitting type; the 
thought of their turpitude and aggrava¬ 
tion may be ready to overwhelm thee ; but 
be still; thy patient God waits to be gra/ 
cious. 


4 i THE FAITHFUL PROMISED 

0, be deeply bumbled and softened, be* 
cause of tby guilt; resolve to dedicate thy¬ 
self anew to bis service; and so coming, 
be will by no means cast tbee out. Be 
spond not by reason of former shortcom¬ 
ings : tby sins are great, but thy Saviour’s 
merits are greater. He is willing to for 
get all the past and sink it in oblivion, if 
there be present love and the promise of 
future obedience. “ Simon, son of Jonas, 
lovest thou me ?” Ah, bow different is 
God’s verdict from man’s. After such sins 
as thine, man’s sentence would have been, 
U I will in nowise receive.” But “it is 
better to fall into the bands of God, than 
into the bands of manfor be says, “ I 
will in nowise cast out.” 


* Remember this word unto thy servant , upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope. ” 


NINETEENTH DAT 


feu* in §tlitinng. 

“ Peace T leave with you; my peace I give unto y ou j not ti 
the world giveth.”—J ohn, xiv. 27 . 

“ Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace 
whose mind is stayed on thee.” “ Perfect 
peacewhat a blessed attainment. My 
soul, is it thine ? Sure I am it is not , if 
thou art seeking it in a perishable world, 
or in the perishable creature, or in thy 
perishable self. Although thou hast all 
that the world would call enviable and 
happy, unless thou hast peace in God and 
with God, all else is unworthy of the name; 
a spurious thing, which the first breath of 
adversity will shatter, and the hour of 
death utterly annihilate. Perfect peace; 
what is it ? It is the peace of forgiveness. 
It is the peace arising out of a sense of God 


46 


THE FAITHFUL PROMISER. 


reconciled through the blood of the ever¬ 
lasting covenant, resting sweetly on the 
bosom and the work of Jesus, to him 
committing thine eternal all. My soul, 
stay thyself on God, that so this blessed 
peace may be thine. Thou hast tried the 
world. It has deceived thee. Prop after 
prop of earthly scaffolding has yielded and 
tottered and fallen. Has thy God ever 
done so ? Ah, this false and counterfeit 
world-peace may do well for the world’s 
work, and the world’s day of prosperity. 
But test it in the hour of sorrow; and 
what can it do for thee when most it is 
needed ? On the other hand, what though 
thou hast no other blessing on earth to call 
thine own ? Thou art rich indeed, if thou 
canst look upwards to heaven, and say, 
with “ unpresumptuous smile,” 11 1 am at 
peace with God.” 


“ Remember this word unto thy servant, upon wkick 
thou hast caused me to hope 


TWENTIETH DAT. 


iliss nt gjing. 

“Bloseed are the dead which die in the Lord/ — 

Key xiv. 13. 

My soul, is this blessedness thine in 
prospect ? Art thou ready, if called this 
night to lie down on thy death-pillow, 
sweetly to fall asleep in Jesus! What is 
the sting of death ? It is sin. Is death, 
then, to thee, robbed of its sting, through 
your having listened to the gracious ac¬ 
cents of pardoning love? Be of good 
cheer; thy sins, which are many, are all 
forgiven thee. If thou hast made up thy 
peace with God, resting on the work and 
atoning blood of his dear Son, then is the 
“last enemy” divested of all his terror, and 
thou canst say, in sweet composure, of thy 
dying couch and dying hour, “ I will both 



48 THE faithful promiser. 

lay me down in peace and sleep, because 
thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in 
safety.” 

Reader, ponder that solemn question, 
“ Am I ready to die ? Am I living as 1 
should wish I had done when that last 
hour arrives ?” And when shall it arrive ? 
To-morrow is not thine. Yerily, there may 
be but a step between thee and death. 0, 
solve the question speedily ; risk no doubts 
and no peradventure. Every day is pro¬ 
claiming anew the lesson, u The race is not 
to the swift, nor the battle to the strong.” 
Seek to live so that that hour cannot come 
upon thee too .soon or too unexpectedly. 
Live a dying life. How blessed to live, 
how blessed to die, with the consciousness 
that there may be but a step between thee 
and glory. 


1 Remember this word unto thy servant, upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope” 


TWENTY-FIRST DAY. 


§. ^taping- 

"In due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”—G ai* n. 9 

Believer, all the glory of thy salvation 
belongs to Jesus—none to thyself; every 
jewel in thine eternal crown is bis pur¬ 
chased by his blood, and polished by hig 
Spirit. The confession of time will be the 
ascription of all eternity, By the grace 
of God, I am what I am.” But though all 
be of grace, thy God calls thee to personal 
strenuousness in the work of thy high call¬ 
ing; to “labor,” to “fight,” to “wrestle,” 
to “ agonize ;” and the heavenly reaping 
will be in proportion to the earthly sowing. 
“ He that soweth sparingly, shall reap also 
sparingly ; and he that soweth bountifully, 
shall reap also bountifully.” What an in 
centive to holy living and increased spirit 
5 


50 THE FAITHFUL PROMISES. 

ual attainments. My soul, wouldst thou 
be a star shining high and bright in the 
firmament of glory—wouldst thou receive 
the ten-talent recompense ? Then, be not 
weary. Gird on thine armor for fresh con¬ 
quests. Be gaining daily some new victory 
over sin. Deny thyself. Be a willing 
cross-bearer for thy Lord’s sake. Do good 
to all men as thou hast opportunity; be 
patient under provocation, slow to wrath, 
resigned in trial. Let the world take 
knowledge of thee, that thou art wearing 
Christ’s livery, and bearing Christ’s Spirit, 
and sharing Christ’s cross. And when the 
reaping-time comes, He who has promised 
that the cup of cold water shall not go un¬ 
recompensed, will not suffer thee to lose 
thy reward. 


Hemember this ivord unto thy servant , upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope” 


TWENTY-SECOND DAY. 


$n 05itof Mnpng. 

fc Tho days of thy mourniDg shall he ended.”—I saiah, lx. 20 

Christ’s people are a weeping band, 
though there be much in this lovely world 
to make them joyous and happy. Yet 
when they think of sin, their own sin and 
the unblushing sins of a world in which 
their God is dishonored, need we wonder 
at their tears—that they should be called 
“ mourners,” and their pilgrimage-home a 
“ valley of tears” ? Bereavement, and sick¬ 
ness, and poverty, and death, following the 
track of sin, add to their mourning expe¬ 
rience; and with many of God’s best be¬ 
loved, one tear is scarce dried, when an¬ 
other is ready to flow. Mourners rejoice. 
When the reaping-time comes, the weep¬ 
ing time ends. When the white robe and 


52 THE FAITHFUL PROMISEE. 

the golden harp are bestowed, every rem 
nant of the sackcloth attire is removed. 
The moment the pilgrim whose forehead is 
here furrowed with woe, bathes it in the 
crystal river of life, that moment the pangs 
of a lifetime of sorrow are eternally for¬ 
gotten. 

Reader, if thou art one of these care¬ 
worn ones, the days of thy mourning are 
numbered. A few more throbbings of this 
aching heart, and then the angel who pro¬ 
claims “ time to be no longer,” shall pro¬ 
claim also sorrow, and sighing, and mourn¬ 
ing to be ended. Seek now to mourn thy 
sins more than thy sorrows; reserve thy 
bitterest tears for forgetfulness of thy dear 
Lord. The saddest and sorest of all be¬ 
reavements is when the sins which have 
separated thee from Him evoke tlie anguish 
cry, “ Where is my God ?” 


Remember this word unto thy servant , upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope." 


IWENTY-THIRD DAT. 


Cuming. 

“Behold, I come quickly.”—R ev. iii. II. 

“Even so; come, Lord Jesus.” Why 
tarry the wheels of thy chariot ? Six thou * 
sand years this world has rolled on, get¬ 
ting hoary with age and wrinkled with 
sins and sorrows. A waiting church sees 
the long-drawn shadows of twilight an¬ 
nouncing, “ The Lord is at hand.” Pre¬ 
pare, my soul, to meet him. 0, happy 
days, when thine adorable Redeemer, so 
long dishonored and despised, shall be 
publicly enthroned in presence of an as¬ 
sembled universe, crowned Lord of all, 
glorified in his saints, satisfied in the fruits 
of his soul’s travail, destroying his “enemies 
with the brightness of his coming—the 
lightning-glance of his wrath; causing the 

5# 


54 the faithful promisee. 

hearts of his exulting people to “rejoice 
with joy unspeakable, and full of glory.” 
Prepare, my soul, to meet him. Let it be 
a joyous thought to thee, thy “blessed 
hope,” this meeting with thine elder 
Brother. Stand oftentimes on the watch- 
tower, to catch the first streak of that com¬ 
ing brightness, the first murmur of these 
chariot wheels. The world is now in prep« 
aration. It is rocking on its worn-out axle. 
There are voices on every side proclaim¬ 
ing, “ He cometh, he cometh to judge the 
earth.” Reader, art thou among the num¬ 
ber of 'those who “ love his appearing” ? 
Remember the attitude of his expectant 
saints. “Blessed are those servants whom 
their Lord, when he cometh, shall find 

WATCHING.” 


u Remember this word unto thy servant , upon which 
thou hast caused me to lope? 


TWENTY-FOURTH DAY. 


“What I <lo, thou knowesfc not now; but thou shalt kno'W 
hereafter.”— John, xviii. 7. 

As the natural sun sometimes sinks in 
clouds, so occasionally the Christian who 
has a bright rising, and a brighter merid¬ 
ian, sets in gloom. It is not always “light” 
at his evening-time; but this we know, 
that when the day of immortality breaks, 
the last vestige of earth’s shadows will for¬ 
ever flee away. To the closing hour of 
time, providence may be to him a baffling 
enigma; but ere the first hour has struck 
on heaven’s chronometer, all will be clear. 
My soul, in God’s light thou shalt see light. 
The book of his decrees is a sealed book 
now; “A great deep,” is all the explana¬ 
tion thou canst often give of his judgments* 


56 


THE FAITHFUL PROMISER. 


the why and the wherefore he seems to 
keep from ns, to test our faith, to discipline 
us in trustful submission, and lead us to 
say, u Thy will be done.” But rejoice in 
that hereafter-light which awaits thee. 
Now we see through a glass darkly; but 
then , face to face. In the great mirror of 
eternity all the events of this checkered 
scene will be reflected; the darkest of them 
will then be seen to be bright with mercy 
—the severest dispensations, “ only the se¬ 
verer aspects of his love.” Pry not, then, 
too curiously; pronounce not too censori¬ 
ously on God’s dealings with thee. Wait 
with patience till the grand day of disclos¬ 
ures ; one confession shall then burst from 
every tongue, u Righteous art thou, 0 
Lord.” 

* * Remew,her this word unto thy servant , upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope” 


TWENTY-FIFTH DAT. 


%, ilunjofus gmifftt. 


‘ I ’will come again, and receive you unto myself, tlat 
where I am, there ye may be also.”—J ohn, xiv. 3. 

If the meeting of a long absent friend or 
brother on earth be a joyous event, what, 
my soul, must be the joy of thy union with 
this Brother of brothers, this Friend of 
friends? 14 1 will come again.” 0, what 
an errand of love, what a promised honor 
and dignity is this. His saints are to share, 
not his heaven only, but his immediate 
presence. “ Where I am, there ye shall be 
also.” lt Father, I will ”—it was his dying 
wish, a wondrous codicil in that testament¬ 
ary prayer— u that those whom thou hast 
given me, be with me where I am .” Happy 
reunion! Blessed Saviour, if thy presence 
be so sweet on a sin'Stricken earth, and 


58 


THE FAITHFUL PROMISED 


when known only by the invisible eye of 
faith, what must be that presence in a sin¬ 
less heaven, unfolded in all its unutterable 
loveliness and glory ? Happy reunion! It 
will be a meeting of the whole ransomed 
family: the Head, with all its members; 
the Yine, with all its branches; the Shep¬ 
herd, with all his flock; the elder Brother, 
with all his kinsmen. 0, the joy, too, of 
mutual recognition among the death-divid¬ 
ed ; ties snapt asunder on earth indissolubly 
renewed; severed friendships reunited; 
the triumph of love complete; love binding 
brother with brother, and friend with 
friend, and all to the Elder Brother. My 
soul, what thinkest thou of this heaven? 
Remember who it is that Jesus says shall 
sit with him upon his throne— u Him that 
overcometh.” 


“Remember this word unto thy servant, upon which 
thou has caused me to hope 


TWENTY-SIXTH DAY. 


ibnlitsiing <&spuuls. 

•And I will betroth thee unto me forever.”—H osea* ii. I9i 

How wondrous and varied are the figures 
which Jesus employs to express the tender¬ 
ness of his covenant love. My soul, thy 
Saviour God hath “married thee.” Wouldst 
thou know the hour of thy betrothment ? 
Go back into the depths of a past eternity, 
before the world was; then and there thine 
espousals were contracted: “I have loved 
thee with an everlasting love.” Soon shall 
the bridal hour arrive, when thine absent 
Lord shall come to welcome his betrothed 
bride into his royal palace. “ The bride¬ 
groom tarrieth;” but see that thou dost not 
slumber and sleep. Surely there is much 
all around, demanding the girded loins and 
the burning lamps. At “ midnight,” the 


60 


THE FAITHFUL PROMISER. 


hour when he is least expected, the cry 
may be, it shall be heard, “Behold, the 
bridegroom cometh!” My soul, has this 
mystic union been formed between thee 
and thy Lord ? Canst thou say, in humble 
assurance of thine affiance with Him, u my 
Beloved is mine, and I am his?” If so, 
great, unspeakably great are the glories 
which await thee. Thy dowry as the bride 
of Christ is all that omnipotence can be¬ 
stow, and all that a feeble creature can 
receive. In the prospect of those glorious 
nuptials, thou needst dread no pang of 
widowhood. What God hath joined to¬ 
gether, no created power can take asunder; 
He betroths thee, and it is “forever.” 


u Remember this word unto thy servant, upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope.” 


TWENTY-SEVENTH DAY. 


Ji IffgfttI ^tsKtintiirn. 

“Tim corruptible must put on incorruption.”— I Coa. 
anr. 53. 

Marvel of marvels! the sleeping ashes 
of the sepulchre starting at the tones of the 
archangel’s trumpet; the dishonored dust 
rising a glorified body, like its risen Lord’s. 
At death, the soul’s bliss is perfect in kind; 
but that bliss is not complete in degree, 
until reunited to the tabernacle it has left 
behind to mingle with the sods of the val¬ 
ley. But tread lightly on that grave; it 
contains precious because ransomed dust. 
My body as well as my spirit was included 
in the redemption-price of Calvary, and 
“ them also which sleep in Jesus will God 
bring with him.” 0, blessed jubilee-day 
of creation, when Christ’s u dead men shall 


62 THE FAITHFUL PROMISEE. 

arisewhen, together with his dead body, 
they shall come, and the summons shall 
sound forth, “Awake and sing, ye that 
dwell in the dust! 1 ’ All the joys of that 
resurrection morn we cannot tell, but its 
chief glory we do know: “When he shall 
appear, we shall be like him; for we shall 
see him as he is.” Like Him! My soul, 
art thou waiting for this manifestation of 
the sons of God ? Like Him! Hast thou 
caught up any faint resemblance to that 
all-glorious image? Having this hope in 
thee, art thou purifying thyself even as he 
is pure? Be much with Jesus now, that 
thou mayest exult in meeting him hereafter. 
Thus taking him as thy guide and portion 
in life, thou mayest lay thee down in thy 
dark and noisome cell, and look forward 
with triumphant hope to the dawn of a re¬ 
surrection-morn, saying, When I awake, I 
am still with thee. 


Remember this word unto thy servant, upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope" 


TWENTY-EIGHTH DAY. 


$ gUgltlns Jjtaijjtt. 

“There shall be no night there.”— Rev. xxi. 25. 

My soul, is it night with thee here ? Art 
thou wearied with these midnight tossings 
on life’s tumultuous sea? Be still; the 
day is breaking; soon shall thy Lord ap¬ 
pear. “ His going forth is prepared as the 
morning.” That glorious appearing shall 
disperse every cloud, and usher in an eter¬ 
nal noontide which knows no twilight. 
tf Thy sun shall no more go down, neither 
shall thy moon withdraw itself; for the 
Lord shall be thine everlasting light.” 
Everlasting light! Wondrous secret of a 
nightless world; the glories of a present 
God; the everlasting light of the Three in 
One, quenching the radiance of all created 
orbs, superseding all material luminaries. 


64 


THE FAITHFUL PROMISEE. 


“ My soul waiteth for the Lord more than 
they that watch for the morning.” The 
haven is nearing; star after star is quenched 
in more glorious effulgence; every bound 
over these dark waves is bringing theo 
nearer the eternal shore. Wilt thou not, 
then, humbly and patiently endure weep¬ 
ing for the night, in the prospect of the 
joy that cometh in the morning? Strange 
realities: a world without night, a firma¬ 
ment without a sun; and, greater wonder 
still, thyself in this world, a joyful denizen 
of this nightless, sinless, sorrowless, tear¬ 
less heaven, basking underneath the Foun¬ 
tain of uncreated light! No exhaustion of 
glorified body and spirit to require repose; 
no lassitude or weariness to suspend the 
ever-deepening song, “ They rest not. 1 ' 


u Remember this word unto thy servant, upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope.” 


IWENTY-NINTH DAY. 


§, Craton »f $Uft. 

* When the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a 
crown of glory that fadeth not away.”—1 Peter, v. 4. 

What, is the beggar to be raised from 
the dunghill, set among princes, and made 
to inherit a throne of glory ? Is dust and 
ashes, a puny rebel, a guilty traitor, to be 
pitied, pardoned, loved, exalted from the 
depths of despair, raised to the heights of 
heaven, gifted with kingly honor, royally 
fed, royally clothed, royally attended, and 
at last royally crowned ? 0, my soul, look 

forward with joyous emotion to that day of 
wonders, when He whose head shall be 
crowned with many crowns shall be the 
dispenser of royal diadems to his people; 
and when they shall begin the joyful 
ascription of all eternity, u Unto Him that 
6 * 


66 


THE FAITHFUL PROMISER. 


loved us and washed us from our sins in 
his own blood,” and has “made us kings” 
—“to him be glory and dominion forever 
and ever. Amen.” Wilt thou be among 
the number ? Shall the princes and mon- 
archs of the earth wade through seas of 
blood for a corruptible crown; and wilt 
thou permit thyself to lose the incorrupti¬ 
ble, or barter it for some perishable 
nothings of earth ? 0, that thou wouldst 

awake to thy high destiny, and live up to 
thy transcendent privileges as the citizen 
of a kingly commonwealth, a member of 
the blood-royal of heaven. What wouldst 
thou not sacrifice, what effort wouldst thou 
grudge, if thou wert included at last in the 
gracious benediction, “Come, ye blessed 
of my Father; inherit the kingdom pre¬ 
pared for you from the foundation of the 
world?” 

“ Remember this word unto thy servant , upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope .” 


THIRTIETH DAY 


®6 ©istflit anii Iriiiinn of 
(§ss ir. 

** God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And 
God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there 
shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither 
shall there be any more pain; for the former things are 
passed away.”— Rev. xxi. 3, 4. 

Glorious consummation! All the other 
glories of heaven are but emanations from 
this glory that excelleth. Here is the focus 
and centre to which every ray of light con¬ 
verges. God is “all in all.” Heaven with¬ 
out God I it would send a thrill of dismay 
through the burning ranks of angels and 
archangels; it would dim every eye, and 
hush every harp, and change the whitest 
robe into sackcloth. And shall I then indeed 
“see God” ? What, shall I gaze on these 
inscrutable glories, and live? Yes, God 
himself shall be with them, and be their 


68 THE FAITHFUL PROMISER. 

God; they shall see Ms face. And not only 
the vision but the fruition. 0, how does 
sin in my holiest moments damp the enjoy* 
ment of Him. It is the “pure in heart’’ 
alone who can “see,” far more, who can 
enjoy God. Even if he did reveal himself 
now, these eyes could never endure his in¬ 
tolerable brightness. But then , with a 
heart purified from corruption, a world 
where the taint of sin and the power of 
temptation never enters—the soul again a 
bright mirror, reflecting the lost image of 
the Godhead; all the affections devoted to 
their original high destiny; the love of 
God the motive principle, the ruling pas¬ 
sion ; the glory of God the undivided ob¬ 
ject and aim; the will no opposing or an¬ 
tagonist bias—man will, for the first time, 
know all the blessedness of his chief end, 
“ to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.” 


44 Remember this word unto thy servant , upon which 
thou hast caused me to hope .” 


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7 


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